Table of Contents

Declaration………………………………………………………………………………………………..ii
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………………….iii
Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………………iv
Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………………….v
List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………………………vii
List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………………………viii
List of Abbreviations…………………………………………………………………………………ix
Chapter I Introduction………………………………………………………………………………1
1.1 International trade and globalization……………………………………………………..1
1.2 Benefits of international free trade………………………………………………………..3
1.3 Reasons for trade barriers…………………………………………………………………….4
1.4 Creation of free trade mechanisms………………………………………………………..6
1.5 Dominance of the NTBs in international trade………………………………………..7
1.6 Purpose of the thesis…………………………………………………………………………10
Chapter II Literature review………………………………………………………………………..11
2.1 Definition of NTBs…………………………………………………………………………..11
2.2 Types of NTBs………………………………………………………………………………..12
2.3 Developing countries’ NTB concerns…………………………………………………..13
2.4 Environmentally-related NTBs…………………………………………………………..14
2.5 Treatment of NTBs in international agreements…………………………………….15
2.6 PPMs……………………………………………………………………………………………..19
2.7 Reponses to NTBs……………………………………………………………………………21
2.7.1 WTO dispute settlement…………………………………………………………….22
2.7.2 International negotiations…………………………………………………………..23
2.7.3 Management responses……………………………………………………………..24
2.8 Market entry considerations……………………………………………………………….24
Chapter III Research Methodology………………………………………………………….27
3.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………….27
3.2 Research Approach…………………………………………………………………………..27
3.3 Research strategy……………………………………………………………………………..28
3.4 Case Selection…………………………………………………………………………………30
3.5 Data Collection Methods…………………………………………………………………..31
3.6 Data analysis……………………………………………………………………………………32
Chapter IV Case Study……………………………………………………………………………34
4.1 Status of the Organic Food Industry…………………………………………………….34
4.1.1 Organic Agriculture………………………………………………………………….34
4.1.2 Global Organic Food Market………………………………………………………35
4.1.3 European Organic Food Market………………………………………………….36
4.1.4 Organic Food in China………………………………………………………………38
4.2 ETB in the Organic Food Industry………………………………………………………39
4.2.1 Trade Barriers in the Organic Food Industry………………………………….39
4.2.2 ETB in the Organic Food Industry — Organic Certification…………….39
4.2.3 Regulations for Importing Organic Production………………………………40
4.2.4 Status of Organic Certification in the EU……………………………………..42
4.2.5 Organic Certification in China…………………………………………………….43
4.4 Interview Results……………………………………………………………………………..44
4.4.1 Company and personal data………………………………………………………..44
4.4.2 Interview results……………………………………………………………………….46
Chapter V Implications…………………………………………………………………………..49
5.1 Managerial Implications……………………………………………………………………49
5.2 Governmental implications………………………………………………………………..52
5.3 WTO’s implications………………………………………………………………………….56
Chapter VI Conclusion and future research……………………………………………….60
References……………………………………………………………………………………………….63
Appendix A……………………………………………………………………………………………..70
Appendix B……………………………………………………………………………………………..71
Appendix C……………………………………………………………………………………………..74
Appendix D……………………………………………………………………………………………..75