Over the years, multilateral trade negotiations have helped to substantially reduce tariff rates. Non-tariff measures (NTMs) cover sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards (SPS), technical barriers to trade (TBT), import and export licensing, export restrictions, customs surcharges, anti-dumping and safeguard measures, among others. While tariffs have been reduced, the number of NTMs is increasing and is often blamed to be a source of the lack of integration in ASEAN. Get more here.
