Is a trade barrier holding back your export business? (2024)

Goods

Trade barriers include any policies and regulations that prevent you from trading goods. Barriers can include tariffs, labelling requirements and local content requirements.

Services

Barriers that can affect trade in services include regulations that discriminate against foreign services suppliers, requirements for specific types of legal entities, such as joint ventures, restrictions on the number of foreign services suppliers, requirements for a commercial presence, lack of transparency, and restrictions on obtaining a licence.

Register a trade barrier

Is a trade barrier holding back your export business? (3)

Agriculture and Agri-Food

Sanitary and phytosanitary measures, tariffs, labelling requirements and other similar rules can affect your potential to export Canadian agriculture and agri-food products.

See Also
Tariffs

What are trade barriers?

Barriers include administrative procedures, quantitative restrictions (such as quotas), price controls, licensing requirements, product labelling requirements and privacy requirements. Trade barriers take two forms:

  • Tariff barriers—Tariff barriers are taxes imposed by a government on imports or exports of goods. These taxes can be used to increase the cost of imported products, make inputs available to domestic producers at more competitive prices and raise revenues for governments.

    Use the Canada Tariff Finder tool to check tariffs applicable to your product in a foreign market and see what reductions may apply to your products as a result of Canada’s free trade agreements.
  • Non-tariff barriers—Non-tariff barriers can affect all forms of goods and services. Sometimes referred to as “red tape,” these barriers typically include quotas, boycotts, licences, standards and heavy regulations, local content requirements, restrictions on foreign investment, domestic government purchasing policies, exchange controls and subsidies.

Note: Some regulations make sense, such as those aimed at protecting public health or the environment. In such cases, foreign governments may agree that Canada’s regulations provide equivalent protection or they may improve their own regulations to achieve the intended results without impeding international trade.

How can we help?

The Trade Commissioner Service will work closely with you to get the best possible outcome for your company in addressing a trade barrier. The Trade Commissioner Service, working with partner departments, will examine the specific context and talk the issue through with foreign agencies to identify possible solutions.

Some barriers can be cleared up quickly, but others can take several years to resolve. The timeframe will depend on the nature of the trade barrier and also on the willingness of the foreign partner to help overcome it. Some may never be resolved, for reasons beyond Canada’s control.

More information on trade barriers and services for exporters

For more information on trade barriers and export services, visit:

Date Modified:
Is a trade barrier holding back your export business? (2024)

FAQs

Is a trade barrier holding back your export business? ›

Foreign trade barriers are broadly defined as a foreign government policy, practice or procedure that unfairly or unnecessarily restricts U.S. exports.

What is considered a trade barrier? ›

A trade barrier refers to any regulation or policy that restricts international trade, especially tariffs, quotas, licences etc.

What are the consequences of trade barriers? ›

Governments tend to induce trade barriers to protect small industries, domestic employment, consumers, and their security. The effects of trade barriers can obstruct free trade, favor rich countries, limit choice of products, raise prices, lower net income, reduce employment, and lower economic output.

What are the barriers to exporting? ›

The most common barrier to trade is a tariff–a tax on imports. Tariffs raise the price of imported goods relative to domestic goods (good produced at home). Another common barrier to trade is a government subsidy to a particular domestic industry. Subsidies make those goods cheaper to produce than in foreign markets.

What do trade barriers always lead to? ›

Trade barriers cause a limited choice of products and, therefore, would force customers to pay higher prices and accept inferior quality. Trade barriers generally favor rich countries because these countries tend to set international trade policies and standards.

What are the 3 different types of trade barriers? ›

In general, trade barriers keep firms from selling to one another in foreign markets. The major obstacles to international trade are natural barriers, tariff barriers, and nontariff barriers.

What are the three 3 most common trade barriers? ›

Trade barriers take many forms but the most common are these:
  • Tariffs are a tax on imports. ...
  • Quotas are a limit on the number of a certain good that can be imported from a certain country. ...
  • Embargoes occur when one country bans trade with another country.

Are trade barriers good or bad? ›

Trade barriers such as tariffs raise prices and reduce available quantities of goods and services for U.S. businesses and consumers, which results in lower income, reduced employment, and lower economic output.

Who benefits from trade barriers? ›

Economic reality: Trade barriers benefit some people—usually the producers of the protected good—but only at even greater expense of others—the consumers.

What are the four types of trade barriers? ›

TANC classifies foreign trade barriers within four broad types: Border Barriers, Technical Barriers to Trade, Government Influence Barriers, and Business Environment Barriers.

What are the risks of export trade? ›

These risks can include macroeconomic risks, such as the risk of inflation; political risks, such as civil unrest or economic sanctions in a given country or region; and business-specific risks, such as the potential for decreased market demand and changes to customers' creditworthiness.

What are the most critical barriers to the process of exporting? ›

Standardization of products and product quality. [22] Cost-operating factors; managerial experience (lack of international experience, commitment, partner difficulties); market barriers (lack of market knowledge and experience); government incentives; specific barriers in firms (resources, size). ...

What problems do new exporters typically face when trying to export? ›

Below are common challenges faced by companies who choose to export their products and their respective solutions.
  • Unclear Logistical Business Planning. ...
  • Inexperience With Border Control And Distribution Laws. ...
  • Understanding Legalities For Each Market. ...
  • Financial Risk In Currency Exchange Rates.
Jun 29, 2020

Who do trade barriers always hurt? ›

Moreover, trade barriers affect some countries more than others. Often hardest hit are less-developed countries whose exports are primarily low-skilled, labor-intensive products that industrialized countries often protect.

Why are trade barriers not always effective? ›

Expert-Verified Answer

Trade barriers not always effective because trade barriers can obstruct free trade, favor rich countries, limit choice of products, raise prices, lower net income, reduce employment, and lower economic output.

Which trade barrier is the most restrictive? ›

Answer and Explanation: The correct option is (B) The most restrictive trade barriers is Embargoes. Embargoes is a blockage or political agreement that limits a foreign country's ability yo export or import.

What are the four types of trade barriers explain? ›

There are several types of trade barriers, but the four main types are protective tariffs, import quotas, trade embargoes, and voluntary export restraints. A protective tariff is a tax imposed on imported goods, making them more expensive than domestic goods(Eg. customs duties) .

Which of the following are examples of trade barriers? ›

Trade barriers are tariffs, quotas, and embargos.

Embargoes - Embargoes are the trade bans on certain transactions or on the exchange of goods and services within nation which which prohibits the free trade between nations.

Which is not an example of a trade barrier? ›

Export Security: It is a measure used by the government for the protection of producers or consumers of a particular. It is not a trade barrier.

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