Trade

Trade concerns center on the impact of a biosafety protocol on the movement of GMOs between countries. In this case, it is necessary to consider how international legal regulation would effect a country’s

rights and obligations under the World Trade Organization (WTO) guidelines. The WTO has not specifically addressed trade in GM crops, although there are three current WTO agreements that have potential implications. The Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement (SPS) is intended to protect "animal, plant, and human health." The Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) agreement sets out technical regulations and conformity procedures such as labeling, and the Trade Related Intellectual Property agreement (TRIPS) mandates basic national intellectual property standards.

If the Cartagena Protocol of the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD) is eventually approved, it may create uncertainty over trade jurisdiction between the CBD and the WTO. Many major WTO exporters of GMOs are not parties to the CBD, further confusing regulatory authority. (See Biodiversity for more on the CBD).

This information was gathered from the following sites:

Applications of Biotechnology to Crops: Benefits and Risks
Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST)
Issue Paper #12
http://www.cast-science.org/biotc_ip.htm

Winrock report on transgenic crops
See section on trade
http://www.winrock.org/Transgenic.pdf

For more information see:
The World Trade Organization

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