Please wait a minute...
Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2015, Vol. 14 Issue (11): 2142-2156    DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(15)61111-X
Section 1: Policy and regulations Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
No country is an island in regulating food safety: How the WTO monitors Chinese food safety laws through the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM)
 Francis Snyder
1、Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, P.R.China
2、School of Transnational Law, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, P.R.China
3、College of Europe, Bruges 8000, Belgium
Download:  PDF in ScienceDirect  
Export:  BibTeX | EndNote (RIS)      
摘要  Established within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) reviews periodically the trade policies of all WTO Members. The review includes many aspects of food safety regulation. China’s trade policy is reviewed every two years. This paper analyses in detail the reviews of China’s trade policy in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014. It focuses in particular on food safety laws and types of standards, alignment of domestic standards with international standards, the role of different domestic institutions, transparency and notification of food safety measures under the WTO agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement), import and export, and geographical indications (GIs). It concludes that the WTO TPRM can contribute, within its mandate, to reform of Chinese food safety laws and improvement of food safety in China. It notes that China has already undertaken substantial reforms of its system for regulating food safety. It recommends that China should continue to participate actively in the TPRM, follow its own path with regard to alignment and learn selectively from other WTO Members.

Abstract  Established within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) reviews periodically the trade policies of all WTO Members. The review includes many aspects of food safety regulation. China’s trade policy is reviewed every two years. This paper analyses in detail the reviews of China’s trade policy in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014. It focuses in particular on food safety laws and types of standards, alignment of domestic standards with international standards, the role of different domestic institutions, transparency and notification of food safety measures under the WTO agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement), import and export, and geographical indications (GIs). It concludes that the WTO TPRM can contribute, within its mandate, to reform of Chinese food safety laws and improvement of food safety in China. It notes that China has already undertaken substantial reforms of its system for regulating food safety. It recommends that China should continue to participate actively in the TPRM, follow its own path with regard to alignment and learn selectively from other WTO Members.
Keywords:  food safety       food standards       public health       consumer welfare       China       Chinese food safety laws       World Trade Organization       WTO law       Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM)       SPS Agreement       TBT Agreement  
Received: 23 September 2014   Accepted:
Fund: 

The author thanks Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, China, and Peking University School of Transnational Law, China, for financial support. Special thanks are due to Executive Vice President Professor Wu Zhipan, Peking University, China; Chancellor Professor Hai Wen, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, China; Vice-Chancellor Professor Jeffrey Lehman, New York University Shanghai, China; and Dean Professor Philip McConnaughay, Peking University School of Transnational Law, China.

Corresponding Authors:  Francis Snyder, Tel: +86-755-26035583/86189261, Fax: +86-755-26032567, E-mail: fgsnyder@gmail.com     E-mail:  fgsnyder@gmail.com

Cite this article: 

Francis Snyder. 2015. No country is an island in regulating food safety: How the WTO monitors Chinese food safety laws through the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM). Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 14(11): 2142-2156.

Chaisse J, Chakraborty D. 2007. Implementing WTO rulesthrough negotiations and sanctions: The role of Trade PolicyReview mechanism and dispute settlement system. Journalof International Economic Law, 28, 153-185

Daly M. 2011. Evolution of Asia’s outward-looking economicpolicies: Some lessons from Trade Policy Reviews. Staffworking paper ERSC-2011-12 World Trade Organization,Economic Research and Statistics Division. [2011-9- 14]. http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2003/april/tradoc_111851.pdf

Froese M D. 2014. Trade policy review and dispute settlement atthe WTO. In: Deese D A, ed., Handbook of the InternationalPolitical Economy of Trade. Edward Elgar Publishing,Cheltenham. Originally published in The World Economy,22, 741-764

Galanter M. 1974. Why the “haves” come out ahead:Speculations on the limits of legal change. Law and SocietyReview, 9, 95-160

Mavroidis P C. 1992. Surveillance schemes: The GATT’s newTrade Policy Review mechanism. Michigan Journal ofInternational Law, 13, 374-414

OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment). 2010a. OECD Economic Surveys: China.Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development,Paris.

OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment). 2010b. OECD Territorial Reviews:Guangdong China 2010. Organisation for EconomicCooperation and Development, Paris.

Snyder F. 1993. The effectiveness of European CommunityLaw: Institutions, processes, tools and techniques. ModernLaw Review, 56, 19-54

Snyder F. 2010. The EU, the WTO and China: Global LegalPluralism and International Trade Regulation. HartPublishing, Oxford.

Snyder F. 2014. Multilateral monitoring of food safety regulationin China: The role of the WTO Trade Policy ReviewMechanism (TPRM). Peking University Transnational LawReview, 2, 321-410

Snyder F. 2015. Making Transnational Food Safety Law inChina. Brill E J, Leiden. (in press)

Spence J. 1980. To Change China: Western Advisors in China.Penguin Books, Harmondsworth.

State Council of China. 1990. Regulations for the Implementationof the Standardisation Law of the People’s Republic ofChina. Promulgated by Decree No. 53 of the State Councilof the People’s Republic of China on April 6, 1990 andEffective as of the Date of Promulgation.

Stewart T B. 1993. The GATT Uruguay Round: A NegotiatingHistory (1986-1992), Volume I: Commentary Kluwer Law& Taxation Publishers, Deventer and Boston.

Valdés R. 2010. Lessons from the first two decades of TradePolicy Reviews in the Americas. Staff working paper ERSC-2010-15. World Trade Organization, Economic Researchand Statistics Division.

Van Grassteck C. 2013. The History and Future of the WorldTrade Organization. World Trade Organization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 1999. The Legal Texts:The Results of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral TradeNegotiations. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2003a. Protocol on theAccession of China. Doha 10 November 2001, Volume 1.Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2003b. Report of the WorkingParty on the Accession of China. World Trade Organization,Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2006a. Economic ReformHas Produced Impressive Results but Important ChallengesRemain. Press/TPRB/262, 19 and 21 April 2006. TradePolicy Review Body, Press Release 2006. [2012-06-09].http://www.wto.org/English/tratop_e/tpr_e/tp262_e.htm

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2006b. Trade Policy Review,China. Minutes of meeting, Addendum. Chairperson: H. E.Mrs. Claudia Uribe (Colombia). WT/TPR/M/161/Add.1, 15June 2006. World Trade Organization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2006c. Trade Policy Review,China. Minutes of meeting. Chairperson: H. E. Mrs.Claudia Uribe (Colombia). WT/TPR/M/161. World TradeOrganization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2006d. Trade Policy Review,China. Report by the Secretariat, WT/TPR/S/161. WorldTrade Organization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2006e. Trade PolicyReview. Minutes of meeting, Addendum, 11 September2006. Chairperson: H. E. Mrs. Claudia Uribe (Colombia).WT/TPR/M/161/Add.2, 11 September 2006. World TradeOrganization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2006f. Trade Policy Review.Report by China. WT/TPR/G/161, 17 March 2006. WorldTrade Organization, Trade Policy Review Body, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2008a. Trade Policy Review,China. Minutes of meeting, 24 July 2008. Chairperson: H.E. Mr. Yonov Frederick Agah (Nigeria). WT/TPR/M/19, 24July 2008. World Trade Organization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2008b. Trade Policy Review,China. Minutes of the meeting, Addendum. Chairperson:H.E. Mr. Yonov Frederick Agah (Nigeria), WT/TPR/M/Add.2,13 April 2010. World Trade Organization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2008c. Trade Policy Review,China. Minutes of the meeting, Addendum 28 August 2008.Chairperson: H. E. Mr. Yonov Frederick Agah (Nigeria), WT/TPR/M/Add.1, 28 August 2008. World Trade Organization,Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2008d. Trade Policy Review,China. Report by the Secretariat. Revision. WT/TPR/S/199/Rev. 1. World Trade Organization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2008e. Trade Policy Review.Report by China, 7 May 2008. World Trade Organization,Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2008f. Restructuring andfurther trade liberalisation are keys to sustaining growth.World Trade Organization, Trade Policy Review Body,Press Release 2008. [2012-06-09]. http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/tp330_e.htm

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2010a. Committee onSanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.

WTO DocumentG/SPS/R/56, para. 179, 28 January 2010. World TradeOrganization, SPS Committee, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2010b. Trade Policy Review,China. Record of the meeting, Addendum. Chairperson: H. E. Mr Bozkurt Aran (Turkey). WT/TPR/M/230/Add.1, 22February 2011. World Trade Organization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2010c. Trade Policy Review,China. Record of the meeting. Chairperson: H. E. Mr.Bozkurt Aran (Turkey). WT/TPR/M/230, 29 June 2010.World Trade Organization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2010d. Trade PolicyReview. Report by China. WT/TPR/G/230. World TradeOrganization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2010e. Trade Policy Review,China. Report by the Secretariat, Revision, WT/TPR/S/230/Rev.1. World Trade Organization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2010f. Restructuring andFurther Trade Liberalization Are Keys to Sustaining Growth.[2012-06-09]. http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/tp330_e.htm

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2012a. Trade Policy Review,China. Record of the meeting. Addendum, WT/TPR/M/264/Add.1, 22 August 2012. World Trade Organization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2012b. Trade PolicyReview, China. Record of the meeting, 17 July 2012. WT/TPR/M/264. Chairperson: H. E. Mr. Eduardo Muñoz Gomez(Colombia). World Trade Organization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2012c. Trade Policy Review,China. Report by the Secretariat. WT/TPR/S/264/Rev.1.World Trade Organization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2012d. Trade Policy Review.Report by China. WT/TPR/G/264, 8 May 2012. World TradeOrganization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2012e. WTO AnalyticalIndex: Guide to WTO Law and Practice. vol. 2. 3rd ed.,Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2014a. Trade PolicyReview, China. Minutes of the meeting. 26 August 2014.Chairperson: H. E. Mrs. Mariam M D Salleh (Malaysia).World Trade Organization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2014b. Trade Policy Review,China. Report by the Secretariat. T/TPR/S/300, 27 May2014. World Trade Organization, Geneva.

WTO (World Trade Organization). 2014c. Trade PolicyReview. Report by China. WT/TPR/G/300. World TradeOrganization, Geneva.

Yang R Z. 2011. Research of China’s participation in the WTOTrade Policy Review process. Indiana University, ResearchCentre for Chinese Politics and Business, RCCPB WorkingPaper No. 8, October 2011 (original in Chinese, translationby Xu Fan).

Zhang X. 2005. Implementation of the WTO Agreements inChina. Wildy, Simmons & Hill Publishing, London.
[1] Xin Zhang, Jingjing Wang, Fuli Tan, Haixiu Gao, Shenggen Fan. The potential impact of increased whole grain consumption among Chinese adults on reducing healthcare costs and carbon footprint[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2024, 23(8): 2842-2852.
[2] Libin Liang, Yaning Bai, Wenyan Huang, Pengfei Ren, Xing Li, Dou Wang, Yuhan Yang, Zhen Gao, Jiao Tang, Xingchen Wu, Shimin Gao, Yanna Guo, Mingming Hu, Zhiwei Wang, Zhongbing Wang, Haili Ma, Junping Li. Genetic and biological properties of H9N2 avian influenza viruses isolated in central China from 2020 to 2022[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2024, 23(8): 2778-2791.
[3] Xuan Li, Shaowen Wang, Yifan Chen, Danwen Zhang, Shanshan Yang, Jingwen Wang, Jiahua Zhang, Yun Bai, Sha Zhang.

Improved simulation of winter wheat yield in North China Plain by using PRYM-Wheat integrated dry matter distribution coefficient [J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2024, 23(4): 1381-1392.

[4] Yi Cui, Qiran Zhao, Thomas Glauben, Wei Si. The impact of Internet access on household dietary quality: Evidence from rural China[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2024, 23(2): 374-383.
[5] Dian Chen, Xiangming Fang, Yu Chen, Xiaodong Zheng, Zhuo Chen, Rodney B.W. Smith.

The impact of the Rural Minimum Living Standard Guarantee (Rural Dibao) Program on child nutrition outcomes [J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2024, 23(2): 444-456.

[6] Xiao Han, Kaiyu Lyu, Fengying Nie, Yuquan Chen.

Resilience effects for household food expenditure and dietary diversity in rural western China [J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2024, 23(2): 384-396.

[7] Jie Xue, Xianglin Zhang, Songchao Chen, Bifeng Hu, Nan Wang, Zhou Shi.

Quantifying the agreement and accuracy characteristics of four satellite-based LULC products for cropland classification in China [J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2024, 23(1): 283-297.

[8] ZHANG Sha, YANG Shan-shan, WANG Jing-wen, WU Xi-fang, Malak HENCHIRI, Tehseen JAVED, ZHANG Jia-hua, BAI Yun. Integrating a novel irrigation approximation method with a process-based remote sensing model to estimate multi-years' winter wheat yield over the North China Plain[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(9): 2865-2881.
[9] LI Dong-qing, ZHANG Ming-xue, LÜ Xin-xin, HOU Ling-ling. Does nature-based solution sustain grassland quality? Evidence from rotational grazing practice in China[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(8): 2567-2576.
[10] YU Wen-jia, LI Hai-gang, Peteh M. NKEBIWE, YANG Xue-yun, GUO Da-yong, LI Cui-lan, ZHU Yi-yong, XIAO Jing-xiu, LI Guo-hua, SUN Zhi, Torsten MÜLLER, SHEN Jian-bo. Combining rhizosphere and soil-based P management decreased the P fertilizer demand of China by more than half based on LePA model simulations[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(8): 2509-2520.
[11] YANG Rui, XU Hang. Water diversion and agricultural production: Evidence from China[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(4): 1244-1257.
[12] HOU Jing, ZHOU Li, Jennifer IFFT, YING Rui-yao. The role of time preferences in contract breach: Evidence from Chinese poultry farmers participating in contract farming[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(2): 623-641.
[13] SHI Peng-fei, HUANG Ji-kun. Rural transformation, income growth, and poverty reduction by region in China in the past four decades[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(12): 3582-3595.
[14] YANG Xu, ZHANG Jia-hua, YANG Shan-shan, WANG Jing-wen, BAI Yun, ZHANG Sha. Modelling the crop yield gap with a remote sensing-based process model: A case study of winter wheat in the North China Plain[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(10): 2993-3005.
[15] FENG Lu, CHI Bao-jie, DONG He-zhong. Cotton cultivation technology with Chinese characteristics has driven the 70-year development of cotton production in China[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2022, 21(3): 597-609.
No Suggested Reading articles found!