Trade and Environment Briefings: Export Restrictions - Policy Brief 2

Natural resources – in the form of finite resources such as minerals and energy, and renewable natural resources such as agricultural commodities (including biofuels), timber, fish, leather and forest products – are increasingly in demand due to rising wealth and a growing population. Trade is an essential means to secure access to resources, not least as they are unevenly distributed across the globe, and no single country is entirely self-sufficient.