Options to Incorporate Circular Economy Provisions in Regional Trade Agreements

This policy brief examines how regional trade agreements (RTAs) can be used to support the transition to a circular economy, suggesting methods for integrating circularity provisions into existing trade policy frameworks.

• The report identifies several structural options for integrating circular economy provisions into RTAs: they can be added to horizontal chapters—such as those covering investment, subsidies, government procurement, services, trade in goods, or sustainable development and environment—or placed in stand-alone annexes and dedicated sectoral chapters, including as annexes to chapters like technical barriers to trade.
• While some trading blocs have begun including circular economy provisions in RTAs, these efforts are currently described as largely embryonic, with the European Union leading these initiatives. Specifically, the European Union's Circular Economy Action Plan necessitates the mainstreaming of circular economy objectives within its free trade agreements.
• The transition to a circular economy is intended to address three simultaneous crises: the unsustainable use of natural resources, nature and biodiversity loss, and climate change. International trade supports this transition through economies of scale and comparative advantages, facilitating the cross-border exchange of secondary materials, waste, goods for remanufacturing and refurbishment, and upstream circular design services.

APA

Sell,, M. (2021). Options to Incorporate Circular Economy Provisions in Regional Trade Agreements. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/circular-economy-regional-trade-agreements

Chicago

Sell,, Malena. Options to Incorporate Circular Economy Provisions in Regional Trade Agreements. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/publications/circular-economy-regional-trade-agreements.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sell, |first1=Malena |title=Options to Incorporate Circular Economy Provisions in Regional Trade Agreements |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=3 May 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/circular-economy-regional-trade-agreements |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sell2021options, author = {Sell,, Malena}, title = {{Options to Incorporate Circular Economy Provisions in Regional Trade Agreements}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/circular-economy-regional-trade-agreements}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }