WT/MIN(21)/8/Rev.1  
 
3 December 2021 
(21-9131) Page: 1/3 
 Original: English  
 
INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON PLASTIC POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY  
SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE (IDP)  
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ON PLASTIC POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY  
SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE  
Revision  
The following communication, dated 03 December  2021, is being circulated at the request of  Albania; 
Australia; Barbados; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Canada; Central African Republic; Chad; 
Chile; China; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; European Union; Fiji; The Gambia;  Honduras;  
Hong Kong, China; Iceland; Jamaica; Japan ; Kazakhstan; Korea, Republic of;  Macao,  China; 
Morocco; New Zealand; Norway; Panama; Peru; Philippines; Singapore; Suriname; Switzerland; 
Thailand; Tonga; United  Kingdom; Uruguay;  and Vanuatu . 
 
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We, the Ministers representing the following Members of the WTO: Albania; Australia; Barbados; 
Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Canada; Central African Republic; Chad; Chile; China; 
Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; European Union; Fiji; The Gambia; Honduras; Hong Kong, China; 
Iceland; Jamaica; Japan ; Kazakhstan; Korea, Republic of;  Macao,  China; Morocco; New Zealand; 
Norway; Panama; Peru; Philippines; Singapore; Suriname; Switzerland; Thailand; Tonga; 
United  Kingdom;  Uruguay;  and Vanuatu  issue this statement : 
Recalling  that the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the WTO recognizes the role of trade in 
achieving the objective of sustainable development and the need to protect and preserve the 
environment.  
 
Noting  the role of trade in contributing to the achievement of Sus tainable Development Goals and 
environmental sustainability, including the fight against climate change, pollution and biodiversity 
loss. 
Recognizing  that the rising environmental, biodiversity, health and economic costs of plastic pollution 
are a concern that increasingly unites all Members, and that the COVID -19 pandemic has only 
amplified these concerns.  
Recalling  the need for further commitment an d actions across the life cycle of plastics to address 
marine litter and microplastics, including through a circular economy approach.  
Acknowledging  the impact that plastic pollution (including microplastics pollution) has on economies 
and the environment,  including on oceans, coastal and terrestrial environments, particularly on 
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) which are especially vulnerable to environmental impacts, 
and recognizing the challenges that developing members and least developed Members f ace in 
addressing trade -related aspects of plastics pollution, including in moving towards environmentally 
sustainable and effective substitutes and alternatives and the role for multilateral trade cooperation 
in promoting good practices.  
Recalling  the ina ugural statement (WT/CTE/W/250/Rev.1) and reaffirming our commitment to 
addressing the trade -related aspects of the plastic pollution challenge, including by supporting WT/MIN(21)/8/Rev.1  
 
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  synergies between the WTO and other international organizations, in particular the Secr etariats of 
Multilateral Environmental Agreements and their related processes.  
Acknowledging  the many international, regional and domestic efforts, decisions and processes aimed 
at addressing the plastic pollution challenge in other fora, including, inter alia, the Basel Convention 
on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (Basel 
Convention) and its Plastic Waste Amendments, and in the context of the United Nations 
Environment Assembly (UNEA), and highlighting the oppo rtunities for enhanced cooperation among 
the different processes working towards a common vision taking into account the importance to 
ensure complementarity and avoid duplication of efforts.  
Noting  that recent research by the United Nations Conference on  Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 
indicates trade in plastics accounts for as much as 5 % of global trade – or more than 1 trillion US 
dollars in 2019 – almost 40% higher than previously estimated, with more trade in plastics still 
unaccounted.  
Noting  the im portance of work in the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment as well as the 
synergies with other processes and initiatives at the WTO, and that work on this topic is a key part 
of broader WTO discussions to advance shared trade and environmental sustaina bility objectives.  
Recognizing  the contribution of our discussions so far (as summarized in the IDP Factual Report – 
INF/TE/IDP/W/3), which covered all six topics initially agreed (WT/CTE/W/250/Rev.1)1, to provide a 
clearer picture of international, regional, and domestic efforts to reduce plastic pollution and 
transition to a more circular and environmentally sustainable global plastics economy , as well as 
synergies, and the opportunities and value -added nature of addressing trade dimensions of the topic.  
Noting the value and importance of proactive engagement by a broad diversity of Members and 
relevant stakeholders, including, inter alia , international organizations and institutions, trade and 
enviro nmental authorities and domestic bodies, the private sector, academia, and civil society.  
We have accordingly reached the following shared understandings:  
1. To intensify our work on areas of common interest with a view to identify ing actions that 
particip ating Members could take collectively to support global efforts to reduce plastics pollution. 
Inter alia , this includes:  
• Identifying ways to improve the understanding of global trade in plastics, including flows of 
plastics embedded in internationally trad ed goods or associated with them (such as plastic 
packaging), and enhance transparency regarding trade policies relevant to reducing plastic 
pollution and more environmentally sustainable plastics trade.  
 
• Sharing experiences of effective approaches to move towards more circular, resource 
efficient and environmentally sustainable plastics trade.  
 
• Addressing trade -related capacity building and technical assistance needs of developing 
members, in particular least developed members and vulnera ble SIDS, to support their 
efforts to:  
 
- move towards more circular plastics economies;  
- improve the environmentally sound management, recovery and recycling of plastics;  
- facilitate access to key technologies;  
- expand trade in environmentally sustainable and effective substitutes and 
alternatives;  
 
1 The six topics initially agreed were: improving transparency and monitoring trade trends; promoting 
best practices; strengthening policy coherence; identifying the scope for collective approaches; assessing 
capacity and technical assistance needs; and coo perating with other international processes and efforts.  WT/MIN(21)/8/Rev.1  
 
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  - encourage collaboration with the relevant stakeholders through, inter alia , the 
exchange of knowledge and experience relating to the development of and access to 
environmentally sustainable and effective (including cost  and functionally effective ) 
substitutes and alternatives to single -use plastics;  
- develop and strengthen local capacities to produce environmentally sustainable and 
effective substitutes and alternatives to single -use plastics; and  
- design and implement trade policies to address plastic pollution.  
 
• Considering plastic pollution and environmentally sustainable plastics trade in Aid for Trade 
with environmentally sustainable objectives.  
 
2. We emphasize the importance of continu ing to engage and support actions in other 
international processes, including:  
• Enhancing cooperation with other international organizations in areas such as definitions, 
scope, standards, design and labelling for plastics (including plastic packaging) and capacity 
building that would promote a more environmentally sustainable plastics sector, including 
through relevant international processes, and intensifying our work and continued 
cooperation on areas of common interest, such as the ongoing discussions towards a new 
global instrument on plastics at UNEA -5, the International Organization for Standardization 
(ISO) and the Basel Convention.  
 
• Identifying effective trade policies or measures to support the implementation of act ions 
under other international processes and efforts and strengthening cooperation and policy 
coherence within rules and mechanisms of the WTO.  
 
• Identifying actions needed to improve gathering of data on trade flows and supply chains, 
including by utilizin g the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System 
(HS Convention) of the World Customs Organization or other trade instruments or 
standards, such as UN/CEFACT, and the flow of information about the chemical and material 
characteristics of plastic pr oducts traded internationally.  
 
3. To hold dedicated discussions with a view to identify best practices and share experiences 
regarding:  
• How trade -related cooperation could help to support efforts to reduce unnecessary or 
harmful plastics and plastic products, including single -use plastics and plastic packaging 
associated with international trade that are not essential for medical or sanitary purposes, 
with special attention to issues and challenges arising for developing members.  
 
• How to promo te trade in goods and services including the use of technologies that can reduce 
plastic pollution, such as: environmentally sustainable waste management technologies; 
environmentally sustainable and effective substitutes and alternatives; and reused and 
recycled plastics, including by incentivizing increased reuse and recycling of plastics 
(considering evidence of their long -term impacts), and identifying technologies for 
environmentally sustainable and effective substitutes and alternatives of interest to  
developing members and least developed members, including SIDS which are especially 
vulnerable to marine litter and plastic pollution, and opportunities for their MSMEs.  
 
4. We invite other WTO Members to join this Ministerial Statement.  
5. We will conti nue to regularly update Members to ensure progress and cooperation on 
implementing actions of this Ministerial S tatement, and to inform WTO Members about the IDP, 
including through the Committee on Trade and Environment.  
6. We will look for concrete, pragm atic, and effective outcomes on these actions and 
understandings at the latest by MC13.  
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