Trade is an essential aspect of the plastic crisis that led to the adoption of a mandate to develop an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. Plastic feedstocks, polymers, additives, plastic pellets, plastic products, and waste are largely traded internationally and the liberalization of trade in those products supports the rise in production and consumption of plastics, accelerating the plastic crisis.
Additionally, trade in plastics acts as a conveyor belt for plastic pollution, including micro- and nanoplastic pollution around the world. The need to address the trade-related aspects of plastic pollution has been recognized by WTO members of the Dialogue on Plastic Pollution at the WTO. The Dialogue on Plastic Pollution has incorporated the reduction of plastics trade as one of its main work streams.
This brief examines the question of consistency or compatibility of the incoming plastics treaty with WTO rules, with the understanding that the treaty negotiation process is still very much ongoing. It also provides key recommendations for future framing of the plastic treaty’s terms to address the essential interlinkages between plastic pollution and international trade in advance of INC-2. The brief was produced in collaboration with IUCN and CIEL.
Read WTO Rules and Key Elements for Consideration in the Context of a Treaty to End Plastic Pollution.