In March 2022, United Nations member states adopted a landmark resolution to address plastic pollution, mandating the creation of a legally binding agreement by 2024 that targets the full life cycle of plastics. As global efforts intensify, new policies and regulations aimed at reducing plastic production, use and waste are expected to impact global trade in various unforeseen ways raising concerns about friction between trading partners.
This policy brief seeks to help policymakers avoid potential trade related conflicts arising from plastic pollution measures by examining instances where such regulations have already created tensions.
It also identifies key areas of concern such as transparency, discrimination and timing, and offers recommendations for designing plastics policies that reduce friction while maintaining smooth trade relations.