International Trade, Ecolabelling and Standards

The report examines the role of ecolabelling and environmental standards in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and the wider ASEAN region. It argues that while these tools are intended to be 'trade-positive', they often function as barriers to trade for GMS countries due to high costs and inadequate technological infrastructure. The analysis reveals that ecolabelling in the GMS is primarily export-oriented, targeting developed markets like the EU, while intraregional trade in primary products remains largely unregulated by environmental standards. The report concludes with recommendations to build national standards bodies, foster a domestic culture of environmental consciousness, and enhance ASEAN-wide cooperation on common standards.

• Ecolabelling often serves as a barrier to trade in developing countries because the technological systems required to meet environmental requirements are expensive to implement.
• In the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), the use of environmental standards and ecolabelling is primarily driven by the need to export to developed countries rather than for domestic or intraregional trade.
• The minimal adoption of environmental standards in the GMS is attributed to policymakers' unfamiliarity with environmental issues, a focus on poverty reduction, high implementation costs, and slow regional cooperation.
• Intraregional trade in the GMS is dominated by primary products, such as timber and forestry products, which are rarely subject to environmental labelling, increasing environmental risks.
• Thailand is more advanced than other GMS countries in environmental labelling, utilizing the 'Green Label' through the Thailand Environmental Institute (TEI) to guide consumers and incentivize manufacturers.
• Lao PDR suffers from weak infrastructure and a lack of national capacity for certification, often resulting in exporters relying on the importing country's authorities for environmental certification.
• The report recommends that GMS countries use official development assistance to build national standards bodies and infrastructure to comply with international requirements.

APA

Oraboune, S. (2010). International Trade, Ecolabelling and Standards. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_ecolabelling_mekong.pdf

Chicago

Oraboune, Syviengxay. International Trade, Ecolabelling and Standards. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2010. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_ecolabelling_mekong.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Oraboune |first1=Syviengxay |title=International Trade, Ecolabelling and Standards |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=June 2010 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_ecolabelling_mekong.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{oraboune2010international, author = {Oraboune, Syviengxay}, title = {{International Trade, Ecolabelling and Standards}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2010}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_ecolabelling_mekong.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }