An econometrics analysis of firms' compliance costs of sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS) in Nigeria's export markets: the case of processed agricultural and food products

The prospective adverse effects of SPS measures made their quantitative evaluation, which has been hitherto scanty, inevitable. In effect, this paper focused on the quantitative determination of cost-raising effect of SPS measures on the exports of processed agricultural and food products of Nigeria through the estimation of firms' variable cost function in an attempt to provide evidence of the cost of compliance to export market standards. Employing primary data, it was found that the imposition of SPS measures in export markets produced significant variable costs of compliance. The study also observed that SPS measures were likely to be imposed for trade restrictive purposes in Nigeria's export markets, while attempts to meet these standards by Nigerian producers and exporters may not result in increased exports, because of the protective intent of the standards' imposing countries. African Journal of Economic Policy Vol. 10(2) 2003: 103-136