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3.102. From 1 January 2015 to 31 January 2022, New Zealand made 39 TBT notifications (i.e. regular notifications, excluding revisions and addendums) of which all except for 2 relate to proposed technical regulations or proposed conformity assessment procedures. These measures covered, inter alia, food, alcoholic beverages, plastics, chemicals, and construction materials, and they were based on, inter alia, health, safety, quality, or environmental considerations. The other two notifications were about the adoption of emergency/urgency technical regulations.

2.13. In the Doha Development Agenda negotiations, both Switzerland and Liechtenstein have been participating in the G-10 group and the W52 sponsors [20]. Additionally, (...) Switzerland and Liechtenstein are participating in the structured discussions on trade and environmental sustainability launched at the WTO's Trade and Environment Week in 2020 and sponsoring the Ministerial Statement on Fossil Fuel Subsidies Reform. Switzerland has also joined the informal dialogue on plastics pollution and environmentally sustainable plastics trade. Switzerland joined the discussions launched in July 2019 on the proposed Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS).
[20] W52 sponsors are the sponsors of a proposal for "modalities" in negotiations on geographical indications (the multilateral register for wines and spirits and extending the higher level of protection beyond wines and spirits) and "disclosure" (patent applicants to disclose the origin of genetic resources and traditional knowledge used in the inventions). WTO document TN/C/W/52, 19 July 2008.

Table 3.7 Taxes, levies, and charges applied to imported goods
Name (date introduced): Environmental tax (2013), Rate: 10%, Taxation base: c.i.f. value excluding duties, plastic items of HS Chapter 39, Regulation: Environmental Tax Act, 2013 (Act 863)

8.8. (...) Since Seychelles' accession to the WTO, the Seychelles Bureau of Standards has been encouraging national regulatory agencies to make use of technical requirements specified international standards and/or reference the international standards when developing technical regulations. The Environment Protection (Restriction on importation, distribution and sale of Plastic Utensils and Polystyrene Boxes) Regulations, 2017 and the Environment Protection (Restriction on manufacturing, importation and distribution of Plastic Bags) Regulation, 2017 are two examples of national technical regulations of which have reference international recognized standards.

11. Seychelles maintains import prohibitions and an import permit system for certain goods mostly based on national security, health, and environmental considerations. (...) As of July 2022, the list of import prohibitions comprised 13 product categories, including toxic chemicals (...) while the requirement of an import permit applied to nearly 50 product categories, covering for example plastic items, fertilizers, and alcoholic beverages (...)

3.44. Seychelles applies based on environmental considerations: (i) a levy on motor vehicles [47]; (ii) a levy on cans, and PET and plastic bottles; and (iii) since 2018, a levy on glass bottles. [48] The levy on cans is SCR 1 per can, while the levies on polyethylene terephthalate (PET), plastic, and glass bottles is either SCR 1, or SCR 2 for glass bottles containing alcoholic beverages.
[47] Environment Protection (Environmental Levies) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020.
[48] Environment Protection (Environmental Levies on PET, Plastic and Glass Bottles and Cans)

3.45. (...) In 2020, the administration of the levy on cans and on polyethylene terephthalate (PET), plastic, and glass bottles was transferred from the Ministry of Finance, National Planning and Trade (MFNPT) to the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change. However, for practical purposes, the levy's collection continues to be at the border by the customs authorities. In this regard, the authorities indicate that in practice these levies apply only to imports, as there is no local production.

3.49. The list of import prohibitions comprises 13 product categories (Table 3.2), including toxic chemicals, counterfeit currencies, and arms. Based on environmental reasons, Seychelles introduced during the review period a prohibition on the imports of: (i) non-biodegradable plastic bags and utensils (with some exemptions based on their intended use) (June 2017); (ii) non-biodegradable plastic straws (June 2019); and (iii) balloons (September 2021). [54] (...)
[54] The prohibition of plastics bags and utensils, balloons were issued, respectively, in Environment Protection (Restriction on Importation, Distribution and Sale of Plastic Utensils and Polystyrene Boxes) Regulations, 2017, 30 June 2017; Environment Protection (Restriction on the Manufacturing, Importation, Distribution and Sale of Plastic Straws), Regulations, 2019; and Customs Management (Prohibited and Restricted Goods) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations, 2020.

Table 3.2. List of prohibited products, 2022:
Goods: Non-biodegradable plastic straws, balloons, non-biodegradable plastic bags and utensils (...)
Reasons: Environmental protection
(...)

3.50. Additionally, Seychelles controls the imports of a selected number of products through a system of (non-automatic) licences or permits – as they are referred to under its national legislation. This system is implemented based on health, public safety, national security, environmental, conservation, and socio-economic considerations. The list of goods subject to an import licence comprises nearly 50 product categories (Table A3.5) and includes endangered species, plastic items, fertilizers (...) During the review period, Seychelles introduced a licence requirement to import certain military equipment (previously prohibited) (2019), popsicles with alcoholic content (2019), biodegradable plastic straws (2019), and hand sanitizers (2020). [55] (...)
[55] The licence requirements for these goods were introduced through the Customs Management (Prohibited and Restricted Goods) Regulations, 2019; the Environment Protection (Restriction on the Manufacturing, Importation, Distribution and Sale of Plastic Straws), Regulations, 2019; and the Customs Management (Prohibited and Restricted Goods) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations, 2020.