Standards, Conformity Assessment, and Trade

Into the 21st Century

Éditeur: National Academies Press
ISBN: 9780309052368
eISBN Pdf: 9780309587884
eISBN Epub: 9780309176439
Lieu de publication: United States
Année de publication électronique: 1995
Mois : Mars
Pages: 253
Langue: Anglais

Légende

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.

Standards, Conformity Assessment, and Trade
Copyright
Preface
Contents
Executive Summary
- CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT
- STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT
- INTERNATIONAL TRADE
- ADDRESSING FUTURE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
- NOTE
1 Introduction
- FUNCTIONS OF STANDARDS
  - Commercial Communication
  - Technology Diffusion
  - Productive Efficiency
  - Enhanced Competition
  - Compatibility
  - Process Management
  - Public Welfare
- CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT
- STANDARDS, CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT, AND PUBLIC POLICY
  - Assessing the U.S. System
  - Public Welfare
  - U. S. International Trade Policy
- NOTES
2 Standards Development
- SCOPE OF THE U.S. SYSTEM
- PRIVATE-SECTOR STANDARDS
  - Economic Rationale for Consensus Standardization
  - Voluntary Consensus Standardization Processes
  - Standards-Developing Organizations
  - American National Standards Institute
- INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT
- GOVERNMENT ROLE IN STANDARDIZATION
  - National Institute of Standards and Technology
  - Federal Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards
  - Public-Private Cooperation
- SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
- NOTES
3 Conformity Assessment
- CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT SYSTEM FRAMEWORK
- TESTING AND CERTIFICATION
  - Product Testing
  - Product Certification
  - Private and Public Certification Programs in the United States
- QUALITY SYSTEM REGISTRATION
- ACCREDITATION AND RECOGNITION
  - Accreditation Services
  - Costs of Redundancy in U.S. Accreditation
  - Government Recognition of Accreditation Services
- SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
- NOTES
4 International Trade
- STANDARDS, TRADE, AND U.S. ECONOMIC PROGRESS
  - Standards and the Economic Benefits of Trade Expansion
  - Cost of Protection: Non-Tariff Barriers to Trade
  - Barriers to Trade in Key U.S. Export Markets
- MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM: THE URUGUAY ROUND
  - Membership and Expansion of Scope
  - Coverage of Conformity Assessment
  - Extension of Coverage to Nongovernmental Organizations
  - Dispute Settlement
- U.S. TRADE POLICY AND SECTION 301
  - Overview of U.S. Trade Policy Formation and Implementation
  - Private-Sector Advisory Mechanisms
  - Removing Standards-Related Trade Barriers: Section 301
- MUTUAL RECOGNITION AGREEMENTS
  - Background: Product Approval in the European Union
  - U.S.-European Union MRA Negotiations
  - Mutual Recognition Agreements: APEC
- U.S. EXPORT PROMOTION
  - U.S. Export Promotion Policy
  - Case Example: Emerging Standards and Conformity Assessment Systems in Indonesia
  - A Model for Standards Assistance Activities
- SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
- NOTES
5 Recommendations to Address Future Challenges and Opportunities
- CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT
- STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT
- INTERNATIONAL TRADE
- MEETING FUTURE CHALLENGES
- NOTES
Appendixes
- Appendix A New Developments in International Standards and Global Trade: A Conference Summary
  - The Post-Uruguay Round Trade Outlook: Economic Benefits Of International Trade
  - The Post-Uruguay Round Trade Outlook: Standards And Technical Barriers To Trade
  - Standards And Technical Barriers To Trade: The European And Gatt Approaches
  - National Standards And Conformity Assessment Systems In Overseas Markets: A U.S. Perspective
  - National Standards And Conformity Assessment Systems In Overseas Markets: A European Perspective
  - The Administration's Defense Acquisition Reform Policies
  - The U.S. Government Role In Standards And Conformity Assessment
    - A Government Agency Perspective
    - A Private-Sector Perspective
    - Industry–Government Cooperation in Regulation and International Standards
    - Comments and Concerns
  - Sectoral Case Studies: Telecommunications And Information Technology
    - Telecommunications
    - Information Technology
  - New Developments In International Standards And Global Trade
  - Participants List
- Appendix B Legislative Request for the Study: Public Law 102-245
- Appendix C Biographical Information on Committee and Staff
  - Committee Members
  - Professional Staff
- Appendix DGlossary and Acronyms
  - Glossary
  - Acronyms
- Appendix E Selected Bibliography
Index