The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), with the support of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC) International Trade Administration (ITA), have organized a standards trade mission to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for March 10-13, 2019. The planned mission follows guidance from the ANSI International Policy Committee in 2017 directing the Institute to take a more proactive role in engagement with the Gulf Cooperation Council Standardization Organization (GSO), its members' national standards bodies, and other stakeholders in the region, and to identify opportunities for increased cooperation with these Gulf counterparts.
The ANSI delegation to this ITA-certified trade mission, the first to focus on standards, is expected to include approximately 10-15 ANSI members representing a cross section of industries primarily in the sectors of building and construction, water and sanitation, electrical safety, information, and communications. During the mission, delegates will meet with leadership and technical committees of the Emirates Standards and Metrology Administration, the Saudi Arabia Standards and Metrology Organization, and the GSO. Additional meetings will include the Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Investment, Saudi Customs Authority, and the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council. Throughout the mission, delegates will have the opportunity to engage with U.S. companies operating in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Participation in the certified trade mission will be on the basis of sponsorship, and further details on the sponsorship packages available are forthcoming. ANSI members interested in receiving more information should contact Leslie McDermott, ANSI's director of international development, at [email protected].