Unlocking the potential of international trade to promote a global secondary market and the transition to a circular economy: what role for the WTO

The document examines the current state of circular economy trade measures notified to the WTO, noting a heavy bias toward end-of-life waste management over upstream resource efficiency. It proposes that the WTO facilitate a 'dynamic alignment system' using mutual recognition agreements, ISO 59000 standards, and cross-border extended producer responsibility schemes to support a global transition to a circular economy, particularly for developing nations.

• A mapping of 520 circular economy-related measures notified to the WTO between 2009 and 2021 reveals that the majority focus on the end of a product's life cycle rather than upstream resource reduction. Specifically, 54% of measures target end-of-cycle and waste disposal, while only 30% address upstream activities like raw material extraction and product design.
• WTO notifications are dominated by a few members, with the United States (22%), China (9%), Korea (6%), and the European Union (4%) being the most active. Uganda is the only developing country among the top 20 notifying members, having submitted seven measures.
• There is significant circular economy momentum in developing economies that is not captured by WTO notifications. Operational strategies and roadmaps exist in Nigeria, Rwanda, and Ghana, with further policies under development in Benin, Cameroon, Chad, and Ethiopia.
• The report proposes a 'dynamic alignment system' to coordinate circular standards, moving from simple mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) and regional trade agreements (RTAs) toward the ISO 59000 series on circular economy as the ultimate benchmark.
• The WTO could improve global material flow transparency by facilitating cross-border extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, ensuring that EPR fees follow goods across borders and include upstream circular design considerations.

APA

Oger, A., & Leturcq, P. (2024). Unlocking the potential of international trade to promote a global secondary market and the transition to a circular economy: what role for the WTO. Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs. https://tessforum.org/latest/unlocking-the-potential-of-international-trade-to-promote-a-global-secondary-market-and-the-transition-to-a-circular-economy-what-role-for-the-wto

Chicago

Oger, Antoine, and Pierre Leturcq. Unlocking the potential of international trade to promote a global secondary market and the transition to a circular economy: what role for the WTO. Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs, 2024. https://tessforum.org/latest/unlocking-the-potential-of-international-trade-to-promote-a-global-secondary-market-and-the-transition-to-a-circular-economy-what-role-for-the-wto.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Oger |first1=Antoine |last2=Leturcq |first2=Pierre |title=Unlocking the potential of international trade to promote a global secondary market and the transition to a circular economy: what role for the WTO |publisher=Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs |date=28 June 2024 |url=https://tessforum.org/latest/unlocking-the-potential-of-international-trade-to-promote-a-global-secondary-market-and-the-transition-to-a-circular-economy-what-role-for-the-wto |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{oger2024unlocking, author = {Oger, Antoine and Leturcq, Pierre}, title = {{Unlocking the potential of international trade to promote a global secondary market and the transition to a circular economy: what role for the WTO}}, institution = {Forum on Trade, Environment, \& the SDGs}, year = {2024}, month = jun, url = {https://tessforum.org/latest/unlocking-the-potential-of-international-trade-to-promote-a-global-secondary-market-and-the-transition-to-a-circular-economy-what-role-for-the-wto}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }