agriculture policy brief
Digital tools to facilitate SPS market access
April 2023
ountries increasingly use digital technologies within their sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) C systems, including SPS electronic certificates (e-certificates). he OECD’s quantitative analysis shows that the use of e-certificates has had positive effects on T trade volumes, notably for processed food, vegetable, and animal products. hile progress has been made in the adoption of electronic phytosanitary certificates for W the international trade in plants and plant-based products, the implementation of electronic sanitary certificates for trade in animal products is more complex and challenging. This is due in part to the different approaches to e-certification being taken by internationally recognised SPS standards setting bodies and to the risks associated with trade in animal products. ignificant challenges remain in increasing the uptake of digital technologies in agro-food trade, S including the mixed capacities of developing countries in particular to adopt these technologies. The successful expansion of digital tools requires careful planning and long-term investment, as well as the sharing of expertise. Targeted financial assistance and capacity building can support countries that currently lack the capabilities to adopt these tools.
What’s the issue? Digital technologies are increasingly implemented by countries within their SPS systems. The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic motivated countries to adopt digital SPS systems more widely, including in the assessment of risk, the identification of risk management strategies, and the verification of SPS compliance in the movement of products. The technologies adopted include e-certificates, conformity assessment platforms, traceability and supply chain integrity technologies, remote pest screening, remote audits, and advanced consignment declarations and checks. E-certificates create efficiencies in SPS compliance verification processes. They facilitate trade by lowering administrative costs for countries and traders. They can also reduce the risk of fraud, make trade systems more accessible for businesses, and help governments to address food safety risks and risks to human health. Exchanges of e-certificates for trade in plant and animal products have been growing. Between 2010 and 2018
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the number of bilateral trade flows of agricultural and food products covered by e-certification grew more than fivefold, from about 4 000 in 2010 to more than 20 000 in 2018 (Figure 1). Rapid growth in the use of e-certificates comes from the increasing number of countries using the EU TRACES NT platform and the implementation of new bilateral agreements on the exchange of e-certificates. In addition, the launch of the IPPC ePhyto Hub pilot in 2017 led to a rapid increase in the use of phytosanitary certificates, with the result that trade in vegetable products accounted for one-quarter of all e-certificates in 2018. Using SPS e-certificates has positive effects on trade volumes, but the effects on trade flows do not materialise immediately. Gravity model estimates show that implementing e-certificates leads to an increase in export values, notably for animal products, vegetable products, and processed food, which experienced an increase in the total value of exports by 16%, 25% and 32%, respectively, two years after the creation of e-certificates (Figure 2).
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