Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures in the Context of the TPP Agreement

The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a notorious example of the proliferation of so-called mega trade agreements. Its signatory parties include almost eight hundred million inhabitants and more than a third of the global Gross Domestic Product. In this context, the objective of this research is to analyze the role of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) provisions within the TPP regarding international food trade. Three major issues have been addressed: (i) recent trends and the current situation of food production and trade among TPP partners, (ii) TPP signatory countries participating in the WTO-SPS mechanisms (notifications, trade concerns and disputes) and (iii) analysis of the content of the SPS chapter of the TPP, principally considering the WTO-SPS Agreement