Standards and Conformity Assessment as Nontariff Barriers to Trade

Standards and Conformity Assessment as Nontariff Barriers to Trade
Author: M. Sherry Stephenson
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 1999
Genre:
ISBN:

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.

Standards and Conformity Assessment as Nontariff Barriers to Trade

Standards and Conformity Assessment as Nontariff Barriers to Trade
Author: Sherry M. Stephenson
Publisher:
Total Pages: 105
Release: 2016
Genre:
ISBN:

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.

Standards, Conformity Assessment, and Trade

Standards, Conformity Assessment, and Trade
Author: International Standards, Conformity Assessment, and U.S. Trade Policy Project Committee
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 253
Release: 1995-03-29
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0309587883

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.

Streamlining Non-Tariff Measures

Streamlining Non-Tariff Measures
Author: Olivier Cadot
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 213
Release: 2012-05-08
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0821395106

This volume is organized as follows. Chapter one discusses the newly revamped non-tariff measure (NTM) classification system, the data collection effort so far, and the key characteristics of the data. It also highlights the private-sector view that NTMs should support domestic firms' competitiveness across countries. Chapter two describes the analytics of an NTM review, step by step through the key questions, for example, is there a market failure, which market is affected, what are the costs of regulatory action vs. the risks of deregulation, and explains how to answer these questions and how to go about quantification when it is possible. Chapter three focuses on the institutional setup and key principles required to successfully pursue the streamlining of regulations. Since the mid-1990s, developed countries have introduced new regulatory approaches aimed at improving the quality of the decision-making process by enhancing both the analytical framework used by policy makers and the participation of interested parties in the regulatory process. Finally, chapters four and five provide practical examples of streamlining NTMs. Chapter four overviews selected experiences with tackling the trade regulatory agenda at both country and regional levels. Chapter five presents case studies on streamlining NTMs, including technical regulation and prohibition, particularly illustrating the analytics that may support the review process. Finally, NTM reviews should be seen as part of national competitiveness agendas rather than as concessions to trading partners. When NTMs are perceived by the domestic private sector as hampering access to key inputs, business regulatory reviews should naturally lead to NTM reviews. Joint use of the triangle of products will facilitate the adoption by governments of coherent national competitiveness strategies centered on the reduction of trade costs.

Handbook on Product Standards and International Trade

Handbook on Product Standards and International Trade
Author: James J. Nedumpara
Publisher: Kluwer Law International B.V.
Total Pages: 315
Release: 2021-11-05
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9403534141

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.

Potential Exports and Nontariff Barriers to Trade

Potential Exports and Nontariff Barriers to Trade
Author: Asian Development Bank
Publisher: Asian Development Bank
Total Pages: 133
Release: 2021-11-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9292691066

This publication explores how Bhutan could boost its exports by addressing nontariff barriers to trade. It focuses on sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade, and on export products that have the potential to increase their market share in Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. It considers options including legal reforms, the upgrade of quality standards and laboratory equipment, and institution building of accrediting bodies and conformity assessment bodies. Practical recommendations suggest ways forward for both the public and private sectors.