Inventory of National Practices on Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment in the Western Hemisphere

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES - TRADE UNIT

1/01/2005
(Original Publish Date: 2000)

This Inventory of National Practices on Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment in the Western Hemisphere was prepared by the Trade Unit of the OAS for the FTAA Working Group on Standards and Technical Barriers to Trade. It covers the national practices of 30 countries with respect to those bodies responsible for elaborating standards and technical regulations, assuring conformance to international and national standards, and carrying out the functions of measurement and metrology, inspection and testing, and certification and accreditation of products and quality systems. The Inventory is an important document not only for the information it contains but also because it represents the first step towards bringing about greater transparency in a highly complex but critical area to the realization of trade promotion and liberalization in the Western Hemisphere. As such, it complements the work ongoing within the World Trade Organization through its Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade.