KEY INFORMATION
Any organization that is doing business in the global market knows how important
it is to understand the voluntary consensus standards and regulatory (mandatory)
requirements in a target market.
Some of the questions commonly asked by organizations that are entering the U.S. market are shown below, along with answers and resources that can help facilitate an understanding.
Where can I find information about U.S. standards and mandatory requirements (regulations)?
All the information necessary to find U.S. voluntary and mandatory specifications can be found in the public domain.
- Standards
The use of voluntary consensus standards is not mandated by the
U.S. government, unless the standard has been adopted or referenced for regulatory and
procurement purposes.
However, compliance with applicable voluntary standards may help an exporter become
more competitive, fulfill a contract, or prove due diligence in ensuring the safety
of a product.
- Regulations
RegInfo.gov is a U.S. government website that provides regulatory information in a centralized location.
The Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) contains all the rules published by the U.S. Federal Government. The CFR is
divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to regulation; each title
is divided into chapters, which usually bear the name of the issuing agency; and
each chapter is further subdivided into parts that cover specific regulatory areas.
The CFR is updated once each calendar
year.
The World Trade Organization’s national inquiry point in either the exporter’s own
country or the national inquiry point in the country to which you will export can
also handle questions related to standards and technical regulations.
View all national inquiry points
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How will I know if voluntary standards are being updated?
The NSSN: A National Resource for Global Standards is an online search engine that contains
data on nearly 300,000 existing and proposed standards.
Users can register to be automatically notified by email of updates
such as new project registration, advancements in development process, revisions,
etc.
Standards Action is a weekly publication of the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) that contains information on proposed and revised standards, draft
American National Standards, governmental and other foreign standards and conformity
assessment activities.
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How will I know if mandatory requirements (regulations) are being updated?
Under the WTO’s Technical Barriers to Trade (WTO-TBT) Agreement, each member nation
is required to notify the WTO Secretariat of all proposed new technical regulations
or changes to technical regulations that will significantly affect trade and that
are not based on international standards.
This requirement can help exporters to quickly and efficiently stay apprised of
changes and to provide comments on the requirements of their customers.
There is usually a 60-day comment period before the technical regulation is adopted. Relevant comments will be considered
from other WTO members and a six-month period will apply before the technical regulation
enters into force
Another way to stay abreast of proposed changes to U.S. regulatory requirements is to take advantage of the
Federal Register, the U.S. government’s newspaper. The Federal Register provides access to the official text
of Federal Laws, Presidential Documents, Administrative Regulations and Notices, and more.
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Can I comment on the U.S. standards and mandatory requirements that relate to my product?
Yes, most standards developers (including all ANSI-accredited standards developer)
and regulators will evaluate and respond to all pertinent comments received on proposed
standards and requirements, regardless of whether those comments originate in the
United States or in other countries.
Follow the link below to view proposed regulations and federal actions that are open for comment.
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Where can I find State-level mandatory requirements (regulations)?
Individual states may have additional requirements that apply to specific products.
The most complete reference to State-level information is via the
Administrative Codes and Registers Section of the National Association of Secretaries
of State.
Most states also have direct links to laws and regulations on their websites: