1、Mobilising trade to curb plastic pollutionKEY TAKEAWAYS Global plastics trade topped$1.1 trillion in 2023,equivalent to 323 millions of metric tons.Over 78%of plastics produced are traded internationally.75%of all plastic ever produced ends up as waste.Although exports of non-plastic substitutes rea

2、ched$485 billion in 2023,their tariff double those of conventional plastics undermine the shift to greener alternatives.Plastic pollution is a borderless crisis,and trade must be part of the solution.We need a Global Plastic Treaty that harnesses trade and investment policies,and the use of digital

3、customs tools,to facilitate a just transition that reduces plastics pollution.Policy InsightsHenrique-PaciniUNCTADMonthly publication analysing trade policy and global trade dataAUGUST 2 0 2 5Global tradeupdateAUGUST 20252Global tradeupdatePolicy insightsPlastic pollution:An urgent trade and develop

4、ment threatFew materials have transformed the global economy as rapidly as plastics.Lightweight,durable and cheap to produce,plastics are embedded in every sector and supply chain.However,plastics generate significant pollution and impose steep social and environmental costs,estimated at over$1.5 tr

5、illion annually.1 While international agreements exist for biodiversity protection-the Convention on Biological Diversity-and climate change-the Paris Agreement-there is no comprehensive global agreement yet to respond to the cross-cutting challenges of plastic pollution.Only partial elements are co

6、vered in existing multilateral environmental agreements(MEAs).This critical gap is now the focus of the International Negotiating Committee(INC-5.2),mandated by the United Nations Environment Assembly Resolution 5/14 in 2022 to develop an International Legally Binding Instrument(ILBI)on plastic poll