This paper will provide an overview of the World Trade Organization's agreements on trade in animals and animal products and of the standards developed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) for the same purpose. Together, these form an international framework for trade in animals and animal products, which is supplemented by the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement). In this paper, the authors introduce the main provisions of the SPS Agreement, the role of the OIE international standards, the importance of science and the work of the SPS Committee. The authors also explore the relevance of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade and the Trade Facilitation Agreement. KeywordsAgreement on Technical Barriers to Trade -Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) -International standards -Technical barriers to trade -Trade -Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) -Trade in animals and animal products -World Organisation of Animal Health (OIE).