Ppm Legal Issues In International Trade Research

PPM is the abbreviation of Process and Production Methods. As a kind of technical standard, PPM standard features by differentiating a product on its process and production methods. PPM standard originated from the conflicts between free trade and environmental protection. Due to lack of international regulations and undefined legal status, it still remains ambiguous and controversial in the international trade arena particularly under the WTO framework. With the increasing concern over environmental protection around the globe coherently with more and more environment-related trade disputes, PPM has become one of the most knotty issues in the debate over the "Trade vs. Environment" . This thesis intends to carry on a systematical research upon PPM on the basis of classifying its definition and classification, illustrating the relation between PPM and GATT/WTO by case-analysis, dissecting the application of PPM standard in line with its practice in EU and the United States. At last, this thesis analyzes China' s challenges and opportunities facing the PPM standard and the relevant strategies to tackle the situation.Except the preface and the conclusion, the thesis consists of four chapters.Being the background of this thesis, chapter one firstly addresses the concept of PPM and its emergence as well as the main types of trade measures that based on PPM and their motivation. Then it draws heavily upon OECD PPM paper's classification, especially that of the NPR-PPM.Chapter two carefully examines the pertinent parts of the reports of the panel and appellate body in the cases of Tuna I & II cases during GATT period and Turtle/Shrimp case in WTO by case-analysis. Therefore, it gives a full view of PPM standard under the WTO framework.Chapter three analyses the application of PPM standard by introducing its practice in EU and the United States. The problems consists of the legitimacy of non-product related PPM, the extra jurisdiction application of PPM and the way to harmonize the application of PPM standard.The last chapter mainly elaborates on China' s practice based on PPM standard. It discloses the influence on China' s economy and environment brought by PPM. Finally, some strategic advices about tackling the PPM standard for Chinese enterprises and Chinese government are separately given by the author.