Trade and investment barriers persist despite prospects of global recovery, says EU report

EU News 74/2015

Brussels, 19 March 2015
IP/15/4618

The EU's strategic economic partners – Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Japan, Russia, and the United States – maintain a variety of barriers that significantly hinder international trade and investment opportunities of EU companies. This is the conclusion of the fifth edition of the EU's Trade and Investment Barriers Report (TIBR) presented today, identifying concrete obstacles to trade.

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Report's main findings

The report lists all major obstacles identified in the EU's priority markets. With 7 cases mentioned in the report Russia tops the list. China follows closely with 6 cases. The report outlines also 4 barriers both for India and Brazil and 3 cases respectively for Argentina and the US.

Barriers identified in the report include requirements to use locally-produced goods, or to be based in a country as a condition to obtain certain advantages. Discriminatory taxes and subsidies for domestic producers in Brazil or a new law in Russia requiring personal data to be stored on a local server are some examples of highly trade-distortive practices. This trend is a concern in a wider perspective, as several other countries – including China - have adopted or are contemplating similar measures.

The report also identifies a high number of sanitary and food-related barriers that persist in Brazil, China, the US and Russia, and highlights intellectual property rights issues in China and the US.

Source and additional information:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-4618_en.htm?locale=en

File Photo: Cecilia Malmström Date: 04/12/2014 Reference: P-026919/00-08 Location: Brussels - EC/Charlemagne (C)EU, 2014 URL

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