On December 5, 2019, a delegation from the National Standardization Agency of Indonesia (BSN) visited the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to discuss good regulatory practices (GRP) and non-tariff measures (NTM). The meeting took place as part of a visit coordinated by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).
BSN was established in 1997 to organize national and international cooperation on standardization, conformity assessment, accreditation, and metrology in Indonesia. As the notification body and enquiry point for the implementation of the World Trade Organization (WTO)-Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) agreement, BSN plays an active role in reducing technical barriers to trade. It also aims to increase understanding of the functions of the WTO TBT Notification Authority and Enquiry Point, as well as improve capacity and governance in the context of drafting and implementing GRP through the implementation of regulatory impact assessments (RIA).
Trends toward regional integration provide an important opportunity for U.S. industry to assure that efforts to harmonize regional standards and regulations do not serve to undermine U.S. - Indo-Pacific trade. During the meeting, the Indonesian delegation provided an overview of BSN's scope of work and highlighted different priorities and standardization that could unlock lasting improvements in transparency, openness, and effective handling of notifications, responses, and communicating incoming notifications from WTO members to related stakeholders. BSN emphasized the importance of an effective regulation process and capacity in implementing RIA to support standards implementation, including the cost-benefit analysis for each technical regulation. ANSI provided an overview of the U.S. standardization system and initiatives in the region. Both organizations shared views on enhancing standards development processes through increased participation in standards activities and increased understanding of the implementation of regulatory schemes in sectors.
Recently, ANSI and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the launch of Standards Alliance: Phase 2 (see related news item), a public-private partnership that supports the capacity of developing countries in the areas of the legal and regulatory framework, standards development, conformity assessment procedures, and private sector engagement. The second phase of the Standards Alliance will continue to involve collaboration with U.S. private sector partners, U.S. government experts, and USAID eligible countries, including Indonesia and other Indo-Pacific countries.
For further information, or to be included in possible future discussions with Indonesia and Indo-Pacific region participants on these topics, please contact [email protected].