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Abstract
Case study research into the mandatory
veterinary requirements on Dutch exports of live
animals and animal products provides empirical
evidence on the trade effects of nontariff measures
(NTMs). The paper discusses the analytical approach to
assess how veterinary health attestation may create
(temporary) obstacles for Dutch exports, what these
obstacles are, and whether competing exporters in EU
countries have encountered similar barriers. We have a
dataset on 166 cases in 2004-06 where the process of
issuing veterinary certificates for Dutch exports to non-
EU destinations was disrupted. Products covered are
animal-based products, live animals and feed. We use a
sample of 30 cases that continued after 2006, the ‘longlasting
problems’, and 39 cases that came up and got
solved between 2004 and 2006, the temporary problems.
The main challenge is to link the available record of
recognition problems to the disruptions in exports. In
order to assess trade disruptions, statistical tests of
outliers and trend breaches are performed on detailed
monthly trade data, and the issue of not-observed trade
needs to be addressed. This raises the need to address
disruption patterns around the imposition of measures
in trade. The alternative patterns under examination are
(i) measures that have an immediate trade impact, (ii)
measures due to which trade gradually expands or
reduces, and (iii) measures that divert trade to
alternative export destinations. Finally, we want to
examine whether the impact of veterinary health
attestation on trade can be specified towards the type of
trade barrier. For that, we suggest to introduce a
distinction between three different types of barriers,
based on whether obstacles relate to the non-conformity
of products to import requirements or a failure in the
conformity assessment or both.