Vietnam Launches U.S.-supported Barriers to Trade Handbook

Hanoi, December 3, 2008

The Vietnamese Directorate for Standards and Quality (STAMEQ) today launched the world’s first handbook on standards, metrology, conformity assessment and the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement. It was developed with technical expertise from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) STAR-Vietnam project at the request of the Government of Vietnam.
 
This handbook is the first document to bring together key information from global sources and networks on standards to expand international trade. It will enable agencies, organizations, and businesses to speak a common language on standards, metrology, conformity assessment, and technical barriers to trade.

“Vietnam’s efforts on standards and technical regulations enable Vietnamese consumers to benefit from the increased safety and reliability of domestic and imported products that meet world standards,” said USAID Representative Francis A. Donovan.

The handbook will help Vietnam implement a modern system of standards and technical regulations as a part of legal reform required by Vietnam’s accession to the World Trade Organization in early 2007. It will provide information for government, businesses, and consumers in every province of Vietnam, allowing exporters to reach new markets around the world. Users will also benefit from in-depth information from hyperlinks and reference materials in the electronic version, which will be updated regularly.

The handbook is available from the U.S.-funded STAR-Vietnam project (http://www.starvietnam.org/) and the Vietnam TBT Office (http://www.tbtvn.org/) websites in Vietnamese and English.