INF/TE/IDP/RD/120/Rev.1  
 
13 April  2023 
(23-2664) Page: 1/4 
 Original: English  
 
  
UNOFFICIAL ROOM DOCUMENT1 
 
DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION AND  ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE 
PLASTICS TRADE  
EVOLVING DOCUMENT WITH SUGGESTIONS FOR CONTRIBUTIONS, INCLUDING FOR MC13 
OUTCOMES, SHARED IN DPP MEETINGS  
Revision  
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1 Documents issued in the RD series are not official WTO documents. They are intended for use in WTO 
meeting rooms and are attributed an unofficial symbol for archiving purposes only.  INF/TE/IDP/RD/120/Rev.1  
 
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  EVOLVING DOCUMENT WITH SUGGESTIONS FOR CONTRIBUTIONS, INCLUDING FOR 
MC13 OUTCOMES, SHARED IN DPP MEETINGS   
 
The evolving compilation below reflects suggestions made by delegations and stakeholders at 
meetings to implement the Dialogue's 2021 Ministerial Statement ( WT/MIN(21)/8/Rev.2 ), in 
particular Ministers call to achieve "concrete, pragmatic, and effective o utcomes… at the latest by 
MC13".   
 
1  CROSS -CUTTING ISSUES  
I. Identifying ways to improve the understanding of global trade in plastics, including flows of 
plastics embedded in internationally traded goods or associated with them (such as plastic 
packaging) , as well as identifying actions needed to improve gathering of data on trade flows 
and supply chains , including by:   
 
a) Contributing to the ongoing work at the World Customs Organization's (WCO) HS 
amendment cycle, though, inter alia, approaches that could better differentiate plastics and 
plastic products, and their intended utilization purposes along their lifecycle, in w ays that 
would support efforts by governments to reduce plastic pollution.   
 
b) Identifying best practices at a national or regional level to improve granular classification to 
enable better monitoring and regulation of trade in certain plastics and plastic products.   
 
c) Exploring technological options and promote cooperation on standards that can also support 
transparency of tr ade flows across the life cycle of plastics .  
 
d) Enabling  "self-reviews" of domestic  trade policies  related to plastics . 
   
II. Addressing  trade-related capacity building and technical assistance  needs of developing 
members, in particular least developed members and vulnerable SIDS , as well as enhancing 
cooperation with other international organi zations and relevant international  processes  and 
identifying effective trade policies or measures to support the implementation of actions under 
other international processes and efforts and strengthening cooperation and policy coherence 
within rules and mechanisms of the WTO , including by:   
 
a) Completing the analysis of the DPP Survey on  trade-related capacity building and technical 
assistance need s of developing members with regards to plastic pollution, in particular LDCs 
and SIDS, including through Aid for Trade (e.g., on design and implementation of trade -
related measures; promoting production and trade in environmentally sound substitutes; 
support for engagement in design and implementation of standards, and for monitoring and 
regulating trade of flows in plastics at the border) .  
 
b) Cooperating with the Organisation  for Economic Co -operation and Development (OECD ), the 
World Bank, and other stakeholders, including regional organizations and international 
environmental organizations , to carry out complementary analyses in identifying relevant 
Aid for Trade needs, oppo rtunities and programmes.   
 
c) Matching priorities outlined by developing members, particularly LDCs and SIDS, with 
existing and potential Aid  for Trade program mes.  
 
d) Enabling d irect requests for capacity building from developing to developed members.  
 
e) Creating a "match -making" mechanism to link specific needs identified by developing 
members, particularly LDCs and SIDS, to implement trade -related plastic measures with 
donor Members, South -South partners and regional and international donor institutions and 
organi zations working on plastics.  
 
f) Undertaking exploratory work with  the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), 
the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other standardization institutions towards 
identifying common understandings  and gaps in internationally recognized standards and 
measuring tools relevant to reducing plastic pollution, including standards related to plastics, INF/TE/IDP/RD/120/Rev.1  
 
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  plastic products, the composition and eco -design of products, substitutes, and waste 
management goods and  services.   
 
g) Exchanging information and reporting on progress under the Dialogue, including potential 
subsequent Ministerial decisions, to the  Intergovernmental  Negotiating  Committee  (INC) 
developing an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution.  
  
h) Enhancing the  complementarity and mutual supportiveness with the Basel P lastic Waste 
Partnership (PwP) on its g uidelines on prevention , minimisation and environmentally sound 
management ( ESM) of plastic waste  
   
2  REDUCTION AND CIRCULARITY TO TACKLE PLASTIC POLLUTION   
I. 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, as well as sharing experiences of 
effective approaches to move towards more circular, resource efficient and environmentally 
sustainable plastics trade , including by:     
 
a) Reducing trade in unnecessary or harmful plastics and plastic products, and phas ing out 
trade in problematic plastics, starting with commonly targeted single -use plastics, as well as 
packaging associated with trade, that are not essential for health, safety, quality, medical 
or sanitary purposes, with special attention to challenges for developing members, in 
particular LDCs and SIDS . 
 
b) Banning or restricting export and import of unnecessary and harmful plastics and plastic 
products, including wastes and additives, starting with those that are restricted or banned 
domestically or through r elevant multilateral environmental agreements.   
 
c) Completing the analysis of the  Trade -related Plastic Measures  (TrPMs) Survey to support 
efforts to identify what members have already identified as harmful and unnecessary plastics 
and plastics products, and their related -trade measures.   
 
d) Identifying the harmful plastics and related -trade measures and compile an open/illustrative, 
non-binding, non -exhaustive and evolving set of commonly understood unnecessary or 
harmful plastics and related -trade measures to address them.  
 
e) Identifying voluntary principles related to design to reduce harmful and unnecessary plastics 
and devise actions that would help consumers have more transparent information on 
products and packaging, such as through labelling .  
 
f) Expanding notification efforts on tariff and non -tariff measures applicable to plastics and 
plastic products, including microplastics, and to the promotion of a more circular plastics 
economy.   
 
g) Supporting the work of international processes, in particul ar the INC, to develop an 
international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution in the refinement of the 
reuse, terminology, including for reuse and refill systems and the use of labelling  schemes.   
 
h) Enhancing coordination, coherence and international cooperation on standards, fees, 
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes and other trade -related plastics measures.   
 
i) Notifying public support to the virgin polymer sector (e.g., fossil fuel-based).   
 
j) Fostering the harmonization of labels and product identifiers for consumers .  
3  PROMOTING TRADE TO TACKLE PLASTIC POLLUTION   
I. How to p romote 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 INF/TE/IDP/RD/120/Rev.1  
 
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  plastics,  including by incentivizing increased reuse and recycling of pl astics (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 espec ially vulnerable to marine litter and 
plastic pollution,  and opportunities for their MSMEs , including by:  
 
a) Promot ing trade in goods and services, including access to, transfer, and uptake of 
technologies for environmentally sound waste management (collecti ng, sorting, recycling) 
and clean up, appropriate to local development circumstances and needs .   
 
b) Completing the analysis of the T rPMs surveys to support efforts to identify what members 
have already identified as environmentally sustainable and effective substitutes and 
alternatives and related -trade measures.   
 
c) Compiling an open/illustrative, non -exhaustive and evolving list of possible environmentally 
sustainable and effective substitutes and alternatives currently already being produced and 
traded internationally, as well as technologies, goods, services for en vironmentally sound 
and safe waste management and clean up.   
 
d) Identifying "good" and "bad" products and services, drawing on the trade -related measures 
and environmental policies already implemented or under consideration by members.   
 
e) Identifying tariff and non -tariff measures to improve access to affordable and 
environmentally sustainable alternatives to harmful plastics, including single -use plastics.   
 
f) Identifying opportunities and best practices for promoting and facilitating trade in plastic 
substitutes, reuse/refill systems, package less alternatives and environmentally sound waste 
management technologies as alternatives to current plastic production and consumption and 
disposal patterns including by addressing tariff and non -tariff measures, government 
procurement, financial and technical support.   
 
g) Expanding notification efforts on non -tariff measures applicable to plastic substitutes and 
alternatives.   
 
h) Improving equal and fair access to, transfer, and uptake of technologies, as well as 
conditions for technologies to flow smoothly, including using TRIPS flexibilities, such as for 
environmentally sound waste management (such as collecting, sorting, recycli ng) and clean 
up, appropriate to local development circumstances and needs.  
 
i) Setting out principles to incentivi ze the adoption of plastics substitutes and alternatives . 
 
 
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