WTO rulebook and combating illicit trade in food and food fraud

As the only global organization dealing with the rules of international trade, the WTO has a key role to play in members’ efforts to tackle illicit agri-food trade through its rules and institutional framework. Specifically, the WTO offers members a variety of tools and best practices, as well as the opportunity to exchange information and implement policies both within and at the border, that can assist them in combating this phenomenon. This chapter examines the most relevant parts of the WTO rulebook to fight the trade in illicit agri-food, and the provisions which allow WTO members to derogate from commitments when fulfilling legitimate public policy goals. This chapter highlights that the lack of disciplines expressly addressing illicit agri-food trade does not prevent the WTO agreements from providing members with several important tools that they can use to tackle the problem.