The Trade and Welfare Impacts of Australian Quarantine Policies: The Case of Pigmeat

Abstract

We analyse the trade and welfare impact of quarantine measures imposed by Australia on imports of pigmeat. In particular, we account for changes to Australia’s pigmeat quarantine policy over time including those changes related to the recent resolution of a WTO dispute between Australia and the European Union. Using a random utility model, and applying it to corner solutions in import decisions, tariff equivalents (by major trading partner) are estimated for the different pigmeat quarantine regimes implemented by Australia during the period 1988–2009. The welfare impact on consumers, producers and foreign exporters is computed using a partial equilibrium model calibrated on the econometric estimates. The quarantine regimes had a strong effect on trade and welfare with a tariff equivalent above 113 per cent of average real‐world prices over the period analysed.

The Political Economy of Food Standard Determination: International Evidence from Maximum Residue Limits

“…Russia's arbitrary restrictions in fish products have been analyzed by Elvestad and Nilssen (2010); Stanton (2012) provides a review of landmark WTO dispute cases on overly restrictive food safety measures such as the ban on hormone-fed beef and restrictions on genetically modified organisms in the European Union, restrictions on salmon importation by Australia, and restriction on apples by Japan and by Australia among other cases. Pork trade in Australia has also been restricted with protectionist SPS restrictions which were finally lifted in 2004 (Beghin and Melatos, 2012). The United States has not been immune from such restrictive SPS policies as it has been shown in the case for the avocado dispute (Lamb, 2006;Peterson and Orden, 2008), and SPS restrictions on lemon trade (Cororaton and Peterson, 2012).…”

Trade Protectionism in Australia: Its Growth and Dismantling

“…10. Another example of such analysis, concerning Australia's quarantine restrictions on pigmeat importation, is Beghin and Melatos (2012). 11.…”

Rechazos de exportaciones por incumplimiento de medidas no arancelarias: el caso de los productos agrícolas latinoamericanos en la frontera de Estados Unidos

“…El cumplimiento de las medidas no arancelarias de tipo técnico supone, en algunos casos, mayores costos de producción. Diversas investigaciones han concluido que, como consecuencia, este tipo de medidas puede limitar el comercio agroalimentario (Hoekman y Nicita, 2008;Disdier y Fontagné, 2010;Disdier y Marette, 2010;Beghin y Melatos, 2012;Penello, 2014). En contraste, otros autores sugieren que las medidas no arancelarias de tipo técnico constituyen un potencial estímulo para las exportaciones de aquellos productores capaces de cumplirlas (Wilson y Bray, 2010;Crivelli y Gröschl, 2012;Ferro et al, 2015).…”