Regulations or standards on goods can impact trade in two ways. They can advance domestic social goals like public health by establishing minimum standards or prescribing safety requirements; but they can also act as hidden protectionist policies. The WTO Agreements on the Application of Sanitary (for protection of human and animal health) and Phytosanitary (for protection of plant health) Measures (SPS) and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) try to strike a balance between these competing uses of standards in international trade.
