Standards, winning markets and trading through value chains

Abstract

Standards are crucial for the orderly and efficient flow of goods and services in domestic and international trade. The adoption of international and regional standards as national standards helps to eliminate non-tariff barriers to trade at the international and regional levels, as it turns out to be today, penetration to the global value chains is not being undermined by tariffs, rather by non-tariff barriers in the form of standards requirements or rules of origin. For many developing countries whose economies are tied to the successful marketing of a small number of agricultural products, standardization can contribute to improved export earnings. Today, purchasers in industrialized countries buy products from developing countries by reference to standards in the contracts. Standardisation brings economic benefits throughout the industrial process, from initial product or project design to ultimate use.