Increasing non-tariff trade barriers have emerged as new protectionist measures, raising concern that they could put a crimp in global trade and a recovery in the world economy, a local trade body warned Tuesday.
In 2010 alone, 1,817 new non-tariff trade barriers were identified by the Technical Barrier to Trade Committee of the World Trade Organization (WTO), according to the Korea International Trade Association (KITA).
The number represents a 103 percent increase from 894 cases in 2005. The WTO committee regularly reviews trade barriers that cause "specific trade concerns," but most barriers often go unchecked, or even unnoticed, as countries have to simply report their measures.
"Tariff barriers have been significantly lowered in 2010 due to a number of multilateral and bilateral trade agreements signed, but non-tariff barriers, such as technical barriers, are now becoming a key means of protectionism," KITA said in a press release.
Increased trade barriers are especially damaging to export-dependent countries, such as South Korea, whose economy depends nearly 90 percent on trade. The country is seeking to again boost its trade this year to become the world's ninth nation to trade over US$1 trillion.
According to the WTO committee, the United States had in place the largest number of 187 technical trade barriers last year, with the world's second-largest economy, China, putting 64 trade barriers in place.
The countries are two of South Korea's largest trading partners, along with Japan, which was identified to have 31 non-tariff barriers in practice.
"To effectively deal with the ever-increasing technical trade barriers of different countries, South Korea must strengthen the joint counter measures of its businesses, research institutes and related government offices," KITA said.