A TAXONOMIA DE PRODUTOS AMBIENTAIS COMO FATOR RELEVANTE NAS EXPORTAÇÕES DOS MEMBROS DA OMC: ESTUDO DE CASO DO BRASIL, UNIÃO EUROPEIA E ESTADOS UNIDOS

Abstract

This article explores the importance and effects of adopting a taxonomy of environmental goods in international trade. With this aim, this paper uses the list approach undertaken in the negotiation of the Environmental Goods Agreement (“EGA list”) and one alternative called “complementary list”, proposing to estimate trade volumes related to environmental goods, if these lists were adopted today (base: average 2020-2022). The article focused on three important actors and members of the WTO in this discussion: Brazil, the European Union (27) and the United States. The methodology is theoretical (bibliographical review of the topic) and empirical (estimation of trade volumes). As a result, it appears that the current participation of products on the EGA list in the export baskets of the EU27 and the US would be significantly more representative than that of Brazil, although the EU27 and the US are also relevant importers of these products. Unlike the EGA list, it was observed that the participation of products on the complementary list in the export baskets of Brazil, the EU27 and the USA is more balanced. The EU27 is even ahead of Brazil, with 1.7% of its exports corresponding to products on the alternative list. It is also shown that for the EGA list, both the EU27 and the USA already have relatively low weighted average tariffs (between 1.5% and 2.2%), which indicates the existence of a reasonable degree of openness in their markets. As for the complementary list, both Brazil and the EU27 have relatively high weighted average tariffs. Critical considerations about the composition of the lists and their relationship with effective environmental gains are also exposed, suggesting the continuation of the debate on the topic