Standards, Conformity Assessment, and Trade Into the 21st Century (1995) / Chapter Skim
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5 Recommendations to Address Future Challenges and Opportunities
5 Recommendations to Address Future Challenges and Opportunities
Pages 153-168
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From page 153... ...
It has demonstrated that standards and conformity assessment systems have important influences on international trade. These are manifest in the successes and opportunities for trade expansion, such as strengthened disciplines in the Uruguay Round Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement provisions; various non-tariff trade barriers that must be reduced or eliminated; and underutilized tools for export expansion.
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Manufacturers are increasingly forced to perform redundant tests and obtain repetitive certifications for products sold in different parts of the country. Testing laboratories pay unnecessary fees and undergo duplicative audits to demonstrate their competence to multiple federal, state, and local authorities.
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From page 155... ...
Government should evaluate and recognize private sector organizations that are competent to accredit testing laboratories, product certifiers, and quality system registrars.3 In order to streamline and improve national conformity assessment procedures, the following is recommended: · RECOMMENDATION 1: Congress should provide the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with a statutory mandate to implement a government-wide policy of phasing out federally operated conformity assessment activities.
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From page 156... ...
RECOMMENDATION 2: NIST should develop, within one year, a tenyear strategic plan to eliminate duplication in state and local criteria for accrediting testing laboratories and product certifiers. NIST should lead efforts to build a network of mutual recognition agreements among federal, state, and local authorities.
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From page 157... ...
Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory program. State and local agencies are prohibited, through preemption by Department of Labor regulations, from refusing to accept product testing data and certification performed by OSHA-recognized laboratories.5 STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT Chapters 1 and 2 of this report examine the role of standards in a modern economy and assess the processes by which standards are developed.
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From page 158... ...
The existing requirement for reports to OMB on agency use of private standards has not proved sufficient to ensure progress toward the policy goals expressed in Circular A-119. A congressional mandate that NIST report annually to Congress on progress within all agencies in using private standards would significantly increase the effectiveness of these policies.
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From page 159... ...
Government adoption of private standards developed under the ANSI-accredited system, however, as well as participation of government experts in standardswriting committees, imposes substantial administrative costs on ANSI. These costs include managerial oversight of standardization processes; information dissemination and communication; and support for conferences and technical committee meetings, among others.
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From page 160... ...
achieved significant progress in expanding global trade and reducing trade barriers particularly those associated with discriminatory national standards and product certification systems. The growing complexity of standards and conformity assessment systems in many nations, however, threatens to undermine future trade expansion.
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Priority should be given to conclusion of MRAs for conformity assessment through the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. RECOMMENDATION 6: The USTR should use its authority under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to self-initiate retaliatory actions against foreign trade practices involving discriminatory or unreasonable standards and conformity assessment criteria.
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From page 162... ...
In addition to policies aimed at reducing trade barriers, innovative export promotion programs will also provide economic benefit. The United States has a unique opportunity to provide leadership, facilitate world trade, and promote U.S.
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systems will be greatly facilitated by increased federal data-gathering and analytical capacities. In addition, over the next several decades, there will be important new, international developments in such areas as environmental management process standards.
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government and industry experts in the early stages of development, environmental management standards have the potential to restrict trade and add unjustified complexity and cost to international conformity assessment systems, while providing only indirect enhancement of environmental protection. Anticipatory analysis of these and other emerging standards and conformity assessment issues is needed, therefore, to enhance U.S.
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From page 165... ...
7. For an additional discussion by a NIST advisory panel of industry and academic experts of the need for an expanded NIST effort in foreign assistance related to standards, see Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, International Standards Issues: A Statement to the Secretary of Commerce, p.
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Appendixes
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