RESTRICTED  
  
INF/TE/IDP/R/1  
 
20 April 2021  
(21-3388) Page: 1/5 
 Original: English  
 
 
INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON PLASTIC S POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE 
PLASTIC S TRADE  
MEETING HELD ON 29 MARCH 2021  
Informal s ummary by the Coordinators1 
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The second  meeting of the Informal Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally 
Sustainable Plastics Trade (IDP) was held on 29 March 2021. The meeting was chaired by  
Ambassador Omar Zniber (Morocco ), one of the voluntary IDP Coordinators . The agenda for the 
meeting was conta ined in WTO document INF/TE/ IDP/CN/1, circulated on 1 6 March  2021. All 
WTO Members had been  invited to attend and participate actively in the meeting.  
 
The WTO Director -General Ngozi Okonjo -Iweala provided opening remarks , noting the 
initiative formed an important part of the sustainability and blue economy agendas at the WTO. She 
noted how the versatile, durable,  and affordable product had become ubiquitous in the modern 
economy, but also how  the way it was produced, consumed, and  disposed was causing significant 
economic, environmental and health costs . She drew attention to some of the global efforts to reduce 
plastic s waste and build a sustainable blue economy, saying that the initiative raised important 
questions about the pote ntial contribution of trade and the WTO to these efforts. Trade c ould and 
should  play a role in ensuring the transition towards an environmentally sustainable plastics 
economy , as it was  a great vector for ensuring efficient, environmentally friendly solut ions found  
their way to where they were most needed.  She encouraged participants to deliver an outcome at  
the 12th  WTO Ministerial Conference  (MC12 ), as the  proponents' work had the potential to show 
that the WTO c ould address complex, 21st  century challenges of public concern .    
 
1  INTRODUCTORY REMARKS FROM THE COORDINATORS  
1.1.  On behalf of the Coordinators, Ambassador Zniber  welcomed participants and recalled  that the 
meeting would focus on transparency and international cooperation to kickstart work in 2021 
towards a meaningful outcome by MC12. He also welcomed the United Kingdom and Ecuador as new 
IDP co -sponsors. Noting that the environmental dimension of trade w as taking a significant place un 
discussion at the WTO, Ambassador Zniber emphasized how the growing generation of plastics each 
year posed risks to marine organisms, humans,  and the environment. He also noted the importance 
to monitor and ensure environme ntal and health safety of hazardous chemicals used in plastics 
production. As collective efforts to tackle plastic pollution were deployed, it would be important to 
address the interface between trade – a central part of the economy – and plastics, through  a holistic 
and pragmatic approach. The IDP would thus look at  the regulation of plastics trade and how to 
promote a circular economy in support of climate and environment.  The transparency and 
international cooperation exercise proposed would help to iden tify knowledge -gaps in data about 
plastics trade and plastics pollution, a constructive role trade, trade policy and the WTO could play, 
 
1 This summary, prepared and circulated under the Coordinators' responsibility, is being shared with a 
view to providing delegations with a record of the discussions and assisting them in reporting back to their 
capitals. It provides a non -exhaustive, illus trative review of the issues addressed by Members at the meeting. 
The voluntary Coordinators were Australia, Barbados, China, Ecuador, Fiji and Morocco . INF/TE/IDP/R/1  
 
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  as well as other international and relevant stakeholders initiatives to understand what WTO Members 
could do to complem ent, and not duplicate, those efforts . 
1.2.  Ambassador Chenggang Li (China)  stressed the COVID -19 epidemic had further emphasized 
the urgent need to rethink how we produce, use, and reuse plastics, with a significant increase in 
consumption  of mostly non -recycl able personal protective equipment, takeaway food containers and 
plastic delivery packaging. WTO Members had already taken substantial measures to tackle plastic s 
pollution at the national level and there was growing recognition that trade was an essential  element. 
According to  the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) , trade in plastics 
in 2018 had amounted to more than 1 trillion dollars (5% of global trade ), almost 40% higher than 
previously estimated , with more potential trade in plastics still unaccounted . The IDP should address 
plastic pollution from a wide -ranging perspective, across the product whole life cycle. The dialogue  
had already achieved good momentum, with 14 co -sponsors  and over 450 representatives of more 
than 80 WTO  Members having participated in previous discussions. In 2021, the group was keen to 
build on the progress made by hosting three scheduled dialogues focus ing on the six aspects of the 
initiative .2 In preparation to this first meeting focusing on transpare ncy and international 
cooperation, co -sponsors had circulated a concept note on the topic  (INF/TE/IDP/W/1) and invited 
Members to share their views and ideas.  The environment agenda could not be absent  of WTO 
reform, which should also make it more relevant . MC12 was a good opportunity . As a specific and 
focused trade and environment  issue, the IDP provided Members with a concrete and relatively 
straight forward topic to make progress. He looked forward to more Members cosponsoring the 
initiative and jointly  working towards achieving a tangible result in MC12 . 
1.3.  Chargé d'Affaires Anare Leweniqila (Fiji) commended the renewed efforts in the context of the 
Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) to support key initiatives which were important for 
sustainable tra de and development. Plastics pollution was a topic of immense potential and of key 
public interest. Members had a long road ahead and a very intense period of work in the coming 
months but the IDP offered an opportunity to explore the trade dimension of th e global plastics 
pollution problem, a challenge particularly dear to Small Island Developing States  (SIDS) , as it 
threatened both the green and blue economies they relied so heavily on . As a community of practice, 
WTO Members had to look to the growing body of knowledge, available information, and science to 
map out where trade "fit" in the broader picture. They also should develop a detailed understanding 
of what international cooperation on the topic was already in place or being discussed. To progress 
the conversation, co -sponsors  had circulated a first proposal of a potential roadmap and outcome 
for MC12 (INF/TE/IDP/W/2). Members were strongly encouraged to provide their comments to 
broaden the conversation and collectively move towards a more  tangible outcome by MC12.  
2  TECHNICAL SEGMENT : TRANSPARENCY CHALLENGES WITH RESPECT TO TRADE IN 
PLASTICS  
2.1.  UNCTAD  and the Graduate Institute (GI) outlined some of the challenges in collecting data 
about trade in plastics  (INF/TE/IDP/RD/1 ). They described their joint study which aimed to develop 
a database covering trade data across the entire life cycle of plastics – from raw inputs to final plastic 
products and waste. Derived from the United Nations International Trade Statistics Database (UN 
Comtrade ), itself based on official sources, the representatives  noted that a  key message from their 
effort was  that it was harder than initially previewed  to get the full picture of plastic trade flows.  The 
effort had involved a granular examination of official W orld Customs Organization (WCO) 
Harmonized  Commodity Description and Coding Systems (HS) , compiling data on all flows in HS 
Chapter 39 (' Plastics and articles thereof ') but also plastic flows identifiable in other Chapters ("semi -
hidden  flows"), such as synthetic rubber products, synthetic textiles  and fishing nets . The database 
still did not cover "hidden flows" of trade in plastics embedded in products but not identifiable in 
customs data  (e.g. goods  packaged and transported in plastics  or with high sha re of embedded 
plastics ). Due to hidden flows, the real volume and value of trade in plastic could be  up to  30% 
higher than  the database captured . 
2.2.  The trade data was categorized by the plastics ' life cycle stage – from inputs through phases 
of production t o final products and waste . A free public version of the database would soon be 
 
2 The IDP's launching statement includes, in its paragraph 3, as "possible subjects for discussion" : 
"improving transparency, monitoring trade trends, promoting best practices, strengthening policy coherence, 
identifying the scope for collective approaches, assessing capacity and technical assistance needs, and 
cooperating with other international processe s and efforts. " See WT/CTE/W/250 . INF/TE/IDP/R/1  
 
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  available online , covering data  from 2002 to 2021 . The study showed that the volume of identifiable 
trade flows of plastics  was much bigger than previously estimated , concentra ted in 2018 in primary 
(US$ 348 billion ) and intermediate forms of plastics ( US$ 158 billion ) and final manufactured plastic 
products ( US$ 416 billion ). Intermediate manufactured products represented US$ 83 billion , while 
trade in plastic waste represented  a much smaller share, with US$ 3 billion  in that year. Finally, 
although the data reflected only traded plastics, trade represented a significant portion of production 
for some parts of the plastics life cycle, accounting for at least 45% of total product ion of primary 
forms of plastic in 2018.  
2.3.  According to the representatives, a key insight was that trade upstream was important to the 
plastic pollution challenge since they  added to the stock and flow of plastic that would  either rapidly 
or eventually become part of the national plastic waste stream . Additionally, p lastic pollution 
occur red across the plastics life cycle, including loss of plastic pellets during transportation , adding  
significant CO 2 emissions  and pollution . To fully understand trade relevant to the life cycle of plastics, 
trade in feedstocks (98% of which were fossil fuels) , chemical precursors for plastics production, 
additives used in plastic , and plastics production and waste management technologies  should also 
be monitored . Although there had been amendments to address governments needs for more 
information about certain  environmental aspects of traded  goods , including on plastics waste s, the 
HS was designed for the identification of products  based on th eir "defining characteristic ", not 
material composition or environmental characteristics  and implications. More work on the topic, 
including to address hidden flows, should be explored.  
2.4.  The WTO Secretariat provided information compiled from  the WTO Environmental Database 
(EDB)3 regarding  notifications o f measures related to plastics  pollution ( INF/TE/IDP/RD/ 2). The 
majority of the 129 measures identified (2009 -2019) had been  notified in the last few years , with 
an average of 16 measures per year since 2014 .  Similarly, the average annual number of references 
to plastics -related measures in Trade Policy Reviews (TPRs) had almost quadrupled between the 
period 2009 -13 (around 3)  and the peri od 2014 -19 (around 11). EDB plastic -related measures had 
been notified by 48 WTO Members,  across all geographic regions and levels of development , and 
under different WTO Agreements. They included  a wide variety of measures, from bans, import 
licenses and quotas, to tax concessions and public procurement preferences to recycled plastics. 
However, the majority of measures identified were  regulatory measures, such as t echnical regulation 
or specifications  and conformity assessment procedures, notified under t he agreements on Technical 
Barriers to Trade (TBT) – 66 measures  (51%) – and on Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures (SPS) 
– 9 measures  (7%).   
2.5.  Both agreements require d, except in urgent circumstances, that measures were notified in 
draft format, providing an opportunity for early dissemination of information, preliminary 
discussions, peer-learning and sharing of best practices . An analysis of these measures, 
demonstrated that 83% had been notified to the TBT and SPS Comm ittees as draft measures. Most 
measures notified to these Committees (almost 80%) applied to the downstream part of the value 
chain , which comprises packaging  materials (30 measures)  – especially single -use plastic bags  – 
and plastic waste  (34) and recycli ng (33). The remaining measures (20%), applied to primary 
plastics (7 measures), plastic based inputs (12) and finished goods (8). Considering the useful 
information contained in such notifications, the voluntary sharing of all types of measures early, in 
a draft format, could allow for  further  constructive debate and experience sharing.  
3  INTERVENTIONS FROM OTHER DELEGATIONS AND  STAKEHOLDERS  
3.1.  Participating Members  reinstated the importance of the initiative, expressing concerns about 
the increasing amount of plastic s polluti on affecting oceans and natural environments and raising 
specific challenges, including sanitary risks linked to poor plastics waste management practices and 
negative effects on blue economy resources. The challenge respected no geographic boundaries or 
development levels. Some participating Members noted the IDP was part of the WTO's broader 
agenda to support a more environmentally sustainable global economy  and could  demonstrate the 
ability of the WTO to contribute positively to climate an d environmental objectives , while some other 
Members also indicated potential synergies and coherence with other environmental sustainability -
related efforts underway  at the WTO.  
 
3 The EDB can be accessed at www.wto.org/edb .  INF/TE/IDP/R/1  
 
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  3.2.  Several participating Members agreed on the value of enhancing transparency to improve 
policy and regulatory settings, share best practices, improve classification and identification of 
different plastic products and alternatives' trade flows. Inconsistenc ies in HS descriptions of different 
types of plastics, the potential for digital trade and solutions to enhance transparency and 
traceability, and more clarity on environmentally sustainable plastics and alternatives  supply chains 
were mentioned as potenti al topics of focus.  Some Members noted the absence of a harmonized and 
systematic transparency framework on global plastic production, trade flows and supply chains, 
including internationally recognized  standards to classify waste types and define contamin ation level 
for recyclable wastes . This gap  affected the potential effectiveness of trade and trade -related policy 
measures to reduce plastic s pollution  and was potentially  indicative of inadequate transparency 
mandates in the realm of trade as well as in sustainability standards .  
3.3.  Several participating Members noted the value of enhanced and early voluntary information 
sharing on domestic policies.  A few participating Members also referred to the value of preparing a 
factual report focusing on the trade as pects of the topic in advance of MC12 as mentioned in the 
concept note proposing a transparency and international cooperation exercise (INF/TE/IDP/W/1). 
Border measures, domestic policies, private sector -led innovation and practices, successful 
consumer aw areness campaigns, contributions from main stakeholders and support from the WTO 
Secretariat were mentioned as potential elements of the factual report.  Several Members stressed 
the importance of enhancing cooperative approach es, capacity building and tech nical assistance 
including in the area of transparency  and especially for developing countries, LDCs and SIDS. Given 
developing countries constraints, positive encouragement approaches should be pursued in lieu of 
punitive ones.  
3.4.  Several participating Members agreed that mapping international action, cooperation with 
international institutions and focusing on core WTO capabilities would be key to avoid duplication 
and ensure any trade discussions would add value to ongoing national, region al and international 
efforts to address plastics pollution. The Basel Convention Plastics Waste Amendment, the United 
Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA) discussions on  marine debris and microplastics,  the Asia-
Pacific Economic Cooperation  (APEC) efforts , the G7 Ocean Plastics Charter , as well as relevant work 
under other Multilateral Environmental Agreements  (MEA) were indicated as relevant processes. The 
WTO EDB, the UNCTAD/GI database, the Organisation for Economic Co -operation and 
Development 's (OECD ) Global Plastics Outlook  as well as other relevant work developed by UNEP, 
UNECE and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific ( UNESCAP ) 
were mentioned as potential sources of information.  
3.5.  Several participating Members refe rred to the potential impact of bottlenecks and regulatory 
requirements on trade flows of plastic alternatives and sustainable plastics trade, and the need to 
ensure that trade policies could  foster more sustainable and circular trade in plastics  and respo nsible 
trade of recycled plastics.  Several Members also shared their national contexts and domestic 
initiatives to tackle plastics pollution. Other topics raised included: open ness of the dialogue to non -
co-sponsors; importance of working with the private sector; technology transfer facilitation for 
developing countries; addressing barriers to responsible trade in plastic s waste /scrap  in support of 
a more sustainable and circular economy , while enforc ing existing transboundary control s; ensuring 
trade -related measures adopted to combat plastic s pollution are coherent and fit for purpose ; and 
curbing the illegal dumping of plastic s waste  or its shipment to countries  lacking the capabilities for 
environment ally sound waste management . 
3.6.  Participating stakeholders  welcomed the IDP, noting the importance of the topic and the value 
of involving international institutions and stakeholders.  They also noted that transparency with 
regards to domestic and internationa l policies was a relevant basis for future work on the role of 
trade, trade policy and the WTO and for businesses seeking to advance circular strategies. Potential 
areas of focus mentioned included: mapping the intersections between market leaders ' supply 
chains, circular plastics strategies in key markets  and trade policies ; understanding the range of 
national trade measures ; using IDP  to spur discussion between trade , environment and customs 
departments on the role of trade measures to support  domestic  efforts ; analysing the impact of 
trade measures on trade  flows of plastics and  substitutes ; explore cooperative  trade policy efforts 
to increase their effectiveness  (e.g. regional efforts) ; identify where Members face challenges in the 
implementation of trade -related MEA obligations relevant to plastics ; and enhance transparency on 
plastic -related subsidies (e.g.  fossil fuels from which plastics are made and plastic production) . INF/TE/IDP/R/1  
 
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  3.7.  Several stakeholders also shared their o wn relevant initiatives. The Basel, Rotterdam and 
Stockholm Conventions Secretariat (BRS – UNEP), noted  the entry into force in 1 January 2021 of 
the new plastics entries under the Basel Convention  and recalled the entry  into force in December 
2019 of the Ban Amendment  prohibit ing all transboundary movements of hazardous wastes destined 
for final disposal from developed to developing countries  for the  100 Parties that have agreed to be 
bound by the Amendment . Finally they shared information on  the inaugural  meeting in March 2020 
of the Convention's Plastic Waste Partnership (PWP) , its work plan  and four project groups on: i) 
prevention and minimization; ii) plastic waste collection, recycling and other recovery including 
financing and related markets; iii) t ransboundary movements of plastic waste; iv) outreach, 
education and awareness raising . The second PWP meeting was scheduled for 14-16 June 2021 . 
3.8.  The World Economic Forum (WEF) shared information on the Global Plastic Action Partnership  
(GPAP), a multi -stakeholder platform dedicated to translating commitments to reduce plastic 
pollution and waste into concrete action across geographies . A white pape r on "Plastics, the Circular 
Economy and Global Trade " had recently been published4 and a case  study based on a concrete 
GPAP project in Ghana was being developed to illustrate some of the key barriers Ghana face d in 
advancing the circular economy for pla stics from a trade  perspective . The OECD  provided updates 
on the OECD Decision on the Transboundary Movement of Waste  adopted to support implementation 
of the Basel Convention . Work was underway to develop the Global Plastics Outlook which would 
serve as a reference for global developments in plastics -related policies, markets, technologies and 
on pathways towards long -term policy goals . It would allow for  global environment -economy 
modelling to examine costs of inaction and benefits of policy action  under the OECD 2021 -22 work 
programme.  
3.9.  Finally, the WCO noted how sustainability was a central part of its last two annual work themes. 
For the HS 2022 reform , environmentally important issues arising from various MEAs  were reflected 
in the changes , most notably on  electronic waste, gases with high global warming potential and 
hazardous chemicals.  On plastics, however, there had been difficulties, including: t he lack of globally 
accepted definitions of many relevant terms, such as biodegradable, compostable, bioplastics  and 
biobased;  how to effectively target the most relevant among the wide and growing ranges of 
additives used in plastics  manufacture ; how to efficiently and simply identify  the large proportion of 
plastics embedded  into goods with other materials or part of  packaging ; how to ensure efficient  and 
affordable  implementation at  the border in all countries, since any HS change entailed c ompliance 
obligation s (particularly with regards to  biodegradability and whether a plastic was compostable ). 
Notwithstanding such challenge s, the WCO Secretariat was confident of being able to bring 
significantly constructive proposals to facilitate reporting of trade in plastics in the HS , (e.g. 
expanded range of specific types of plastics ). As the WTO, the WCO was a Member -driven 
organizati on and any proposals were fully dependent upon Member support .  
3.10.   Other suggestions for the IDP from participating stakeholders included: improving prior 
informed consent procedures to avoid illegal trade and avoidable wastes;  review process between 
trade an d environment ministries ; early involvement of domestic customs officials in the process; 
remain open to advice from external experts and  representatives of stakeholder groups ; and creating 
a publicly accessible webpage on the WTO’s website about the work of the IDP . Some stakeholders 
offered to support developing countries in enhancing transparency and implementing  plastic efforts.  
4  CLOSING REMARKS AND NEXT STEPS  
4.1.  Ambassador Zniber noted how the initiative was supported  by an important and growing 
number of delegations and profited from a widening array of stakeholders. Discussions had been 
very constructive and ambitious , including  information that would  build delegations collective 
understanding on the potential contribution of trade t o plastics pollution efforts. He recalled  the 
circulation of the proposed roadmap and outcome for MC12 (INF/TE/IDP/W/2) , inviting Members to 
share their views on the potential p olitical declaration in MC12 recognizing  the importance of the 
topic and indica ting work for MC13 . He highly encourage d other Members to join and to engage  in 
the IDP . The n ext IDP  meetings would once again  be held back -to-back with the CTE and chaired by 
Barbados, Ecuador and Australia.  
__________  
 
4 Accessible here: https://www.weforum.org/whitepapers/plastics -the-circular -economy -and-global -
trade .