Developing A Framework For Quantifying And Analysing Non-Tariff Measures | USDA FAS 10960 0200 10 21 0004

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0200 10 21 0004

The grant opportunity "Developing A Framework For Quantifying And Analysing Non-Tariff Measures" is a USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) applied research award aimed at improving how the U.S. government understands and measures non-tariff measures (NTMs) that affect agricultural trade. The program is grounded in the reality that exports are a major part of U.S. agriculture (about one-fifth of U.S. farm products are exported) and that trade competitiveness increasingly depends on factors beyond tariffs. While tariffs still matter, the opportunity is focused on the growing influence of NTMs, which are often harder to observe, more complex to interpret, and potentially more trade-distorting than tariffs. These include requirements such as non-automatic import licenses, inspection and approval procedures, food safety rules, and especially sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures like veterinary drug standards, maximum residue limits, and phytosanitary protocols.

A central theme of the opportunity is that SPS measures occupy a particularly important place in agricultural trade policy and disputes. The solicitation highlights that SPS measures are widespread because countries legitimately differ in how they manage plant and animal health risks, food safety, and consumer information. At the same time, SPS rules can be controversial because the WTO SPS Agreement allows countries to set their own health and safety measures only if they are grounded in scientific risk assessment, applied without discrimination across countries with similar conditions, and designed to be minimally trade-distorting. Because SPS measures are frequently encountered in agricultural trade and are often cited by exporters as major impediments, USDA/FAS wants better tools to identify them, quantify their economic effects, and incorporate them into trade forecasting and policy analysis.

The main purpose of the project is to produce a robust, modern modeling framework that can estimate the economic costs of NTMs on U.S. agricultural exports and compare those effects with competing supplier countries in selected destination markets. The work is expected to be practical and usable for policy and forecasting, not purely conceptual. The solicitation lays out three core objectives. First, the recipient must build an inventory of priority NTMs that are strategically important for U.S. agricultural export interests, essentially creating a structured list of the measures that matter most by country and product. Second, the recipient must develop and apply an empirical modeling approach that can evaluate how these NTMs affect trade outcomes, including impacts on U.S. exports relative to competitors. Third, the recipient must demonstrate, in coordination with FAS, how to translate the costs of NTMs into ad valorem equivalents (AVEs), meaning tariff-like percentage measures that can be plugged into USDA/FAS ex ante simulation and projection models used for strategic planning and market access analysis.

The anticipated deliverables emphasize transparency, reusability, and operational value for government analysts. FAS expects an NTM database accompanied by documentation, and it indicates a preference for machine-readable datasets along with the code used to generate forecasts and results. The database is envisioned as potentially search-enabled, allowing users to query by country, commodity, or time period. Beyond the data infrastructure, the project may produce a policy-facing report that explains the chosen modeling framework, data needs, and setup; presents illustrative results; and interprets what the findings mean for decision-makers. The report is also expected to address how elasticity estimates are used to convert NTM impacts into AVEs, how those impacts can be programmed into simulation models, and how analysts can implement the approach in practice. An in-person "how-to" modeling workshop is also contemplated, suggesting FAS wants knowledge transfer, not just a written product. The agency additionally supports broader dissemination through shared data/code, presentations in academic and government settings, and peer-reviewed journal publications.

In terms of administrative details, this is a discretionary USDA opportunity under CFDA 10.960 (Technical Agricultural Assistance). The eligible applicants are public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, reflecting a strong preference for university-based research teams with expertise in trade economics, econometrics, and policy modeling. The funding instrument type is listed as "Other." The opportunity anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of $200,000. The posting indicates it was created on July 16, 2021, with an original closing date of August 16, 2021, positioning it as a targeted, one-recipient effort to build a foundation FAS can use in ongoing market access and trade policy work.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as an effort to move NTMs from being a largely qualitative or case-by-case trade concern into a measurable, model-ready set of inputs that can support forecasting, strategic prioritization, and evidence-based engagement with trading partners. By producing an inventory of key measures, an empirically grounded modeling framework, and a practical method to convert NTM effects into ad valorem equivalents, the project is intended to help USDA/FAS better quantify how regulatory and procedural barriers shape real export outcomes for U.S. agriculture.

• The Department of Agriculture, Technical Agricultural Assistance 10.960 in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Developing A Framework For Quantifying And Analysing Non-Tariff Measures" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.960.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 16, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 16, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for USDA FAS 10960 0200 10 21 0004

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