The political economy of trade-related regulatory policy: environment and global value chain

Abstract

This paper proposes a selective review of the political and economics literature on non-tariff measures (NTMs), with special emphasis on the so-called behind-the-border measures, such as environmental and food standards. We focus on both theory and existing empirical evidence. The complex issue of international trading rules over domestic regulatory standards, as well as the emerging role of outsourcing and global value chains, is also considered.