Shelf-life Restrictions

Shelf-life restrictions in Global Commerce Policy

In this regard, a definition of this issue is as follows: usually public health regulations covering especially food items, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, etc., to ensure that a product only remains on sale in the shops as long as its quality and safety can be maintained and assured. The entries on trade policy are here. If the shelf-life of a product is declared artificially short, market access by foreign suppliers may be impeded since the time needed for transport and customs clearance has to be allowed for. This reduces the time the product can be left on the shelf, and it increases the importer’s costs because there might be greater wastage. The entries on trade policy are here. It may even deter shops from stocking the product. Shelf-life restrictions then become technical barriers to trade. Motivations for shelf-life restrictions vary. They can be based on a desire to protect local manufacturers, a genuine belief that shelf-life should not exceed a certain period for health and safety reasons, a reluctance to accept the efficiency of certain types of packaging and hesitation to accept the validity of new testing methods.[1]

Shelf-life restrictionsin the wold Encyclopedia

For an introductory overview on international trade policy, see this entry.

Resources

Notes and References

1. Dictionary of Trade Policy, “Shelf-life restrictions” entry (OAS)

See Also