Mandated standards used for vehicle airbags, International Organization for Standards (ISO) standards adopted for photographic film, de facto standards for computer software--however they arise, standards play a fundamental role in the global marketplace. Standards, Conformity Assessment, and Trade provides a comprehensive, up-to-date analysis of the link between standards, product testing and certification, and U.S. economic performance. The book includes recommendations for streamlining standards development, increasing the efficiency of product testing and certification, and promoting the success of U.S. exports in world markets. The volume offers a critical examination of organizations involved in standards and identifies the urgent improvements needed in the U.S. system for conformity assessment, in which adherence to standards is assessed and certified. Among other key issues, the book explores the role of government regulation, laboratory accreditation, and the overlapping of multiple quality standards in product development and manufacturing. In one of the first treatments of this subject, Standards, Conformity Assessment, and Trade offers a unique and highly valuable analysis of the impact of standards and conformity assessment on global trade.

September 1997 As traditional barriers to trade have fallen, standards, technical regulations, and procedures for assessing conformity have become increasingly important as nontariff barriers to trade. What should developing countries do about it? As traditional barriers to trade have fallen, standards, technical regulations, and procedures for assessing conformity have become increasingly important as nontariff barriers to trade. But relatively little is know about the extent and nature of those barriers and even less about their quantitative impact, especially in developing countries. To facilitate trade, regional initiatives on standards and conformity assessment appear to be more promising than a multilateral approach because of the greater trust and commonality of interest at the regional level- with regard to mutual recognition agreements. For reasons of both efficiency and cost, developing countries should adopt the standards of their major trading partners rather than develop their own national standards. Developing countries have not been heavily involved in developing international and regional standards; they have been on the sidelines in efforts to rationalize this process. To have greater influence on the development of standards, they should take a more proactive approach to these issues in the International Organization for Standardization, the International Electrical Commission, and related regional and multilateral bodies. This paper-a product of the Development Research Group-is part of a larger effort in the group to understand the importance of standards and conformity assessment for trade liberalization and deep integration.

As traditional barriers to trade have fallen, standards, technical regulations, and procedures for assessing conformity have become increasingly important as nontariff barriers to trade. What should developing countries do about it? As traditional barriers to trade have fallen, standards, technical regulations, and procedures for assessing conformity have become increasingly important as nontariff barriers to trade. But relatively little is know about the extent and nature of those barriers and even less about their quantitative impact, especially in developing countries. To facilitate trade, regional initiatives on standards and conformity assessment appear to be more promising than a multilateral approach because of the greater trust and commonality of interest at the regional level- with regard to mutual recognition agreements. For reasons of both efficiency and cost, developing countries should adopt the standards of their major trading partners rather than develop their own national standards. Developing countries have not been heavily involved in developing international and regional standards; they have been on the sidelines in efforts to rationalize this process. To have greater influence on the development of standards, they should take a more proactive approach to these issues in the International Organization for Standardization, the International Electrical Commission, and related regional and multilateral bodies. This paper - a product of the Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to understand the importance of standards and conformity assessment for trade liberalization and deep integration.

Global Trade Law Series, Volume 55 India, one of the world’s foremost trading nations, exhibits a particularly complex regulatory landscape with a variety of standard-setting bodies, regulators, accreditation and certification bodies, inspection agencies, as well as several state-level regulators. This is the first book to extensively describe the nature of standard-setting processes in India and the key agencies involved with this task, greatly clarifying the scope of market opportunities in the country. Lucid contributions from experienced practitioners and regulators with first-hand experience in formulating and advising on standards-related issues in international trade help disentangle the web of laws, regulations, operations, and functions of India’s standard setters in governmental, non-governmental, and industry contexts. The chapters describe how standards apply to such crucial trade aspects as the following: conformity assessment practice and procedure; environmental, ethical, social, and safety issues; import bans and import licensing; certification and labelling measures; mutual recognition agreements; food safety; and standardisation of the digital economy. The book is drafted throughout in an easy-to-read style, with numerous tables, flowcharts, and figures illustrating step-by-step compliance procedures. Informative annexes guide the reader to relevant agencies and identify their roles and responsibilities. This book provides a clear and concise guide to the operations, functions, and compliance and documentation requirements of India’s standard-setting and regulatory bodies across all sectors and products, and thus will serve as an unmatched guide for manufacturers, traders, and exporters operating in the Indian market or seeking to export to India. It will also serve as a useful Handbook to policymakers, academics, and researchers interested in understanding the role of standard-setting bodies in the field of international trade.