Stories

Peruvian companies face barriers to trade in EU and US

7 August 2012
ITC News
ITC survey of Peruvian companies shows that many still face non-tariff measures in their major export markets in Europe and the Americas.

A recent ITC survey of 960 Peruvian companies shows that 40% face challenges related to non-tariff measures (NTMs), mostly in their major export markets in the United States of America, the European Union and some countries in Latin America. The report outlines the survey results and policy options discussed at a national roundtable in Peru in February 2012.

While Peru’s exports doubled in five years, resources of specialized technical agencies have not increased accordingly. Certification and inspection have instead become a bottleneck to trade. Information systems about NTMs need strengthening, as many issues faced particularly by small and medium-sized firms emerged from their lack of knowledge about regulations.

Lack of cooperation

Even though Peru has started simplifying export and import procedures through a so-called ‘Single Window for Foreign Trade’, relevant authorities and specialized agencies have yet to further integrate processes and improve cooperation. Decentralization of technical and logistical infrastructure can alleviate the strain on capacities in the capital and drive export growth in the regions.

The NTM survey suggests that ministries, public agencies and private sector continue to work close together to ensure that policy actions are well defined and their outcome regularly monitored and evaluated.

Peru: Company Perspectives – An ITC Series on Non-Tariff Measures (PDF version)

Read more about ITC’s work on non-tariff measures.