Trade Terminology

Market Access:-

The general category of instruments and issues affecting access to a country’s market, especially tariffs and quantitative restrictions. 

Market-access negotiations are the most traditional topic in trade policy, and are to be distinguished from more complex and politically difficult questions regarding “beyond the border” measures.

·     Quantitative Restrictions:-

A trade restriction placed on the amount of an item or service that can be imported into a country. These are frequently enacted to protect the price of domestically produced goods or to decrease or eliminate a trade deficit. Also called trade quota.

Negative List:-

One approach to the identification of measures that are subject to the terms of an agreement is a negative list: 

• All items are affected except those that are explicitly listed. This is a less restrictive approach than the positive list. The negative-list approach can also be called "bottom-up."
• In lay man terms, the items that are on the negative list are subject to terms and conditions and others are free from it. 

Positive List:-

One approach to the identification of measures that are subject to the terms of an agreement is a positive list: 

• Only those items that are explicitly on the list are affected. This is a more restrictive approach than the negative list. The positive-list approach can also be called a "top-down" approach.
• Here, only the list of items on the positive list are free from trade restrictions, and rest are captive.