GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 26, 2026

WTO SPS Agreement

The WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) sets the rules for how governments may use food safety, animal health, and plant health regulations without turning them into disguised trade barriers.

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Last updated: 26 June 2026Published: 27 January 2026

Source: https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/sps_e/spsagr_e.htm

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Definition & Explanation

The WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) sets the rules for how governments may use food safety, animal health, and plant health regulations without turning them into disguised trade barriers. Member states must ground measures such as pesticide limits, quarantine requirements, or hygiene standards in scientific evidence and risk assessment, and apply them equally to all trading partners. For freight forwarders handling food products, livestock, or plant material, the SPS Agreement has immediate practical consequences: shipments must be accompanied by phytosanitary certificates, veterinary health certificates, or laboratory test results meeting the importing country's requirements – missing documentation typically results in refusal of entry or destruction of the goods. The SPS Agreement covers only biological, chemical, and physical risks to human, animal, or plant health; technical product specifications and labelling rules fall instead under the separate TBT Agreement.

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