International Agency That Administers Trade Agreements

10. Dezember 2020

The new „Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards“ of Schedule 3 of the TBT Agreement provides a basis for extending regulations to private standards bodies. The code sets out the general principles of the development and application of standards by non-governmental organizations. These include the national treatment of products from a foreign country that are no less favourable than those granted to domestic or imported products from another country (national and non-discrimination treatment); publication and dissemination of work in progress; Establishing a 60-day deadline for open notices before standards are adopted; and refrain from applying standards that could be barriers to international trade. Section 301 supports petitions by individuals or commercial interests to enforce U.S. rights under international trade agreements. The USTR can also launch a 301 action itself under its own supervision. Under the law, usTR must decide within 45 days whether an application for an appeal under Section 301 is justified and should be pursued.46 USTR contacts foreign trade partners and requests dispute resolution discussions. If trading partners refuse, the Foreign Ministry`s Office of Economic Affairs and Foreign Affairs is responsible for formulating and implementing foreign policy policies, including standards. The international powers of the Ministry of Finance are exercised by the Assistant Secretary for International Affairs. The U.S. Treasury Department enforces import tariffs and enforces numerous laws or regulations relating to international trade.

It maintains relations with private professional associations, international organizations and foreign customs services. A vigorous attempt to implement international systems to streamline regional and multilateral standards, certifications and quality standards is an appropriate priority for U.S. trade and standards policy makers. The purpose of these efforts is clear. They should provide a mechanism for manufacturers dealing with global markets to obtain quality system tests, certifications and registrations once and to accept products worldwide in a market. The goal of secure credibility in these systems is also essential. Achieving this goal should be a multilateral priority, but it is possible to work to promote this principle unilaterally and regionally, as outlined later in the sections on the application of U.S. trade law to reduce barriers and regional dialogue on mutual recognition agreements (MRA) in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum.