RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/TBT/2/Add.14
19July1996
ORGANIZATION(96-2853)
Original: Spanish Committee onTechnical Barriers toTrade
IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OFTHE AGREEMENT
ONTECHNICAL BARRIERS TOTRADE
Thefollowing statement under Article 15.2oftheAgreement hasbeenreceived from the
delegation ofMexico.
_______________
1. TheGovernmentofMexicoacceptedtheAgreementonTechnicalBarrierstoTradebyratification
oftheUruguay Round on30August 1994. Asanintegral partoftheAgreement Establishing theWorld
Trade Organization, theAgreement hasbecome lawinMexico, following ratification andentry into
force on1January 1995.
2. Inorder toensure thattheprovisions oftheAgreement areimplemented, theAgreement was
published infullintheDiario Oficial delaFederación (Official Journal oftheFederation) on
30December 1994. Thisguarantees thatallMexican Government agencies responsible forissuing
andapplying technical regulations, standards andprocedures forassessment ofconformity areaware
ofMexico 'sobligations under theAgreement.
3. TheMinistry ofTrade andIndustrial Development (SECOFI), which hasresponsibility for
thissector through theNational Standardization Commission, hasanalysed theAgreement andcirculated
ittoitsdepartments interested inandresponsible foritsapplication. TheCommission isanational
body made upofvarious sectors (academic, industrial, commercial andconsumer groups) andbyall
Government agencies empowered toissue standards andtechnical regulations, aswellasprivate
standardization bodies. TheCommission isresponsible fordrawing upstandardization policies and
coordinating theaction ofthevarious Mexican departments relating tostandards, aswellaspreparing
theNational Standardization Programme.
4. Each yeartheNational Standardization Commission draws upanAnnual Standardization
Programme, withtheareas andsectors thateachdepartment wishes toregulate. Thisprogramme is
publishedintheOfficialJournal;informationandaccessforparticipationisopentoallinterestedparties.
SECOFI isresponsible fornotifying thisProgramme totheWTO Members, asithasbeendoing in
theframework oftheTokyo Round Code onTechnical Barriers toTrade, independently oftheindividual
notification ofdrafttechnical regulations andstandards.
5. TheregulationsandstandardsaredrawnupthroughCommitteesinwhichallnationalandforeign
interested parties participate, andthedrafts arepublished intheOfficial Journal ofMexico. Theperiod
laiddown bytheFederal LawofMetrology andStandardization forreceiving comments onthedrafts
is90days. Inthecaseofvoluntary standards, onlythetitleofthestandard ispublished intheOfficial
Journal, while thefulltextismade known tothegeneral public byavariety ofmeans, suchasspecialized
magazines, periodicals etc.,andismade available upon request.
./.G/TBT/2/Add.14
Page2
6. Thecontact pointforholding consultations under theAgreement, andinquiry point concerning
technical regulations, standards andprocedures forassessment ofconformity inMexico istheSECOFI
Directorate-General ofStandards, atthefollowing address:
Dirección General deNormas
Secretaría deComercio yFomento Industrial
Avenida Puente deTecamachalco
Naucalpan deJaárez
53950 Estado deMéxico
Mexico
7. Thefinaladoption oftechnical regulations, standards andconformity assessment procedures
istheresponsibility oftheMexican Government through thebodies having specific powers and
competence inthevarious subjects. They areaware ofMexico 'scommitments andobligations under
theAgreement onTechnical Barriers toTrade, including those relating tonotification.
8. InMexico,voluntarystandardsaredrawnupthroughthesameproceduresastechnicalregulations
(known inMexico asMexican Official Standards); thatistosay,therequirements areobserved of
ensuring broad participation intheirdrafting, publication anddissemination prior totheirentry into
force, andprovision ofaperiod forpublic consultation concerning them. Voluntary standards are
drawn upandissued bythenational standardization bodies, which areprivate non-profit-making entities
(theDirectorate-General ofStandards publishes Mexican standards when there isnospecific
standardization body forthesector). These bodies ensure therepresentation inallrespects oftheir
sectors ofactivity andareaccredited bySECOFI forthispurpose; accreditation iscarried outin
accordance withprocedures established ininternational standards.