Quality and Value of Traded Goods

QUALITY AND VALUE OF TRADED GOODS

Raising the standard

Standards have become the lingua franca of world trade, as they convey consistent and understandable information to the buyer– a common technical language for trading partners.

Increasing harmonisation between countries’ frameworks significantly enhances the efficient flow of trade. At the same time, global off-takers, particularly in the agricultural sector, are applying increasing environmental, social and governance standards to production and trading, and access to destination markets depends on firms’ ability to raise their compliance levels.

Supporting African businesses to consistently adhere to global standards, and increasing the voice will be the gateway to increasing exports.

How TMA will achieve this

STANDARDS BUREAUS

Improve national implementation of international standards, in particular through National Standards Bureaus.

STANDARDS HARMONISATION

Support Governments to implement standards and technical regulations consistent with world trade rules.

HARMONISATION OF TECHNICAL REGULATIONS

Facilitate harmonisation of technical regulations at continental, regional and national levels.

CONFORMITY

Help develop standards and conformity assessment services at national and regional level – including laboratory capacity, inspection and certification services; and product certification services in both the public and private sectors.

MUTUAL RECOGNITION AGREEMENTS

Establish Mutual Recognition Agreements to build mutual confidence between countries on conformity of assessment procedures and facilitate the acceptance of goods and services everywhere on the basis of one assessment.