The World Trade Organization Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) is a globally recognized agreement that governs the technical barriers that can affect international trade. The TBT agreement was created to ensure that all countries have fair and equal access to the global market by reducing the obstacles that can prevent trade from occurring.

Technical barriers to trade refer to any technical requirements, regulations, or standards that can make it harder for goods to be traded between countries. These can include differing rules on product safety, quality, labeling, and packaging. The aim of the TBT is to ensure that these technical barriers do not create unnecessary obstacles to trade.

One of the primary goals of the TBT agreement is to ensure that countries do not use technical regulations as a way to discriminate against other countries. For example, a country may use technical regulations to block imports from another country that has a more competitive industry. This can be done by setting standards that are impossible for foreign products to meet or by creating regulations that are designed to only benefit domestic industries.

The TBT agreement works to prevent this type of discrimination by requiring countries to use international standards wherever possible. This means that countries cannot create regulations that are more restrictive than those set by international bodies such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) or the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

Another important aspect of the TBT agreement is that it requires countries to notify each other of any new technical regulations that they plan to implement. This allows all countries to have a say in the development of these regulations and to provide feedback on how they may affect trade. The TBT agreement also encourages countries to use international standards in their regulations as much as possible.

Overall, the World Trade Organization Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade is an important tool for ensuring that international trade remains fair and open. By reducing technical barriers, the TBT agreement helps to promote economic growth and development around the world. It is vital that countries continue to work together to uphold the principles of the TBT and to ensure that all countries have equal access to the global market.