As the U.S. member body to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) seeks comments by July 5 on a draft proposal for a new ISO Technical Committee (TC) on cross-border trade of second-hand goods.
Second-hand goods are an alternative to higher-priced new goods, and when reused, they support a sustainable solution to waste in landfills. However, dangerous or unsustainable second-hand goods can infiltrate the market, leading to serious health and safety risks and resource waste problems.
According to the proposal submitted by SAC (the ISO member for China), the rise of online second-hand trade and the digitalization in trade necessitates that proper data needs to be exchanged among second-hand trade participants, as lack of data can lead to a range of issues that affect consumer safety, public health, and environmental sustainability.
The proposed scope is to establish general requirements and minimum screening criteria for second-hand goods that are traded, sold, offered for sale, donated, or exchanged between countries. The TC intends to promote health, safety, and sustainability in customer interactions with second-hand goods. It is applicable to second-hand goods that are shipped across at least one international border, and where the intended end user is a consumer; goods that are remanufactured and rebuilt are not applicable.
Read the proposal for more details and submit comments to Steven Cornish, ANSI senior director of international policy and strategy, at [email protected] by close of business on Friday, July 5. Following the deadline, ANSI staff will develop a recommended ANSI position and any comments for approval by the ANSI ISO Council (AIC) before ISO’s voting deadline of August 14, 2024.
