WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/2/Add.26/Rev.2
26 June 2003
(03-3415)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE AGREEMENT
ON TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE
Communication from Brazil
Revision
The following communication from Brazil is being circulated in accordance with Article 15.2
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1. The objective of this submission is to present a brief report of the activities carried out in
Brazil, in 2002, in the field of the implementation of the disciplines related to the TBT Agreement,
and to list some relevant initiatives developed, in terms of technical co-operation and assistance
provided in the Agreement.
I. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT
2. With a view to abide to transparency concerns, a thorough relationship between the Brazilian
TBT Enquiry Point (National Metrology, Standardisation and Industrial Quality Institute –
INMETRO) and national regulatory agencies is of the highest importance.  This relationship
comprises the establishment of an enhanced di alogue amongst Governme ntal and non-Governmental
institutions, with regulatory and standardizing authority, and the private sector as well.
3. In this sense, the continued implementation of procedures for information gathering of
technical regulations proposals issued by National regulatory bodies has increased the number of
Brazilian notifications to the TBT Committee, thus ra ising the level of transparency in relation to the
Brazilian regulatory process.  This initiative has contributed to disseminate to the private sector an
improved perception of the importance of an active participation in regulatory activities, especially at
the international level.
4. In 2002 the Brazilian Enquiry Point has set up an Internet homepage that allows online access
to the complete texts of technical regulations notified to the WTO TBT Committee.  At the site
www.inmetro.gov.br/barreirastecnicas , one can find information related to technical co-operation
programmes which INMETRO is involved with, and to Mutual Recognition Agreements already
signed or still under negotiation.  In addition, the site also provides papers from various sources on
TBT matters.
5. In March 2002, through its homepage, the Brazilian Enquiry Point began to provide to the
exporters the following services free of charge:  (1 ) “Alerta Exportador!” (“Exporter Alert!”), which
provides to the user, through e-mail, an electronic warning on technical regulations proposals notified
to the WTO by all members;  (2) “Denuncie Barreiras Técnicas” (“Denounce Technical Barriers”),
where the exporter may denounce possible technical barriers to trade, which will be assessed by the
Enquiry Point's technical personnel in light of the provisions of the TBT Agreement;  suggestions ofproper action will be made, if appropriate;  (3) request of complete texts of technical regulations
proposals notified to the WTO TBT Committee;  (4) transmittal of comments made by members onG/TBT/2/Add.26/Rev.2
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technical regulations proposals notified to the WTO;  (5) provision of specific information to
technical regulations proposals notified to the WTO;  (6) request of information on TBT matters.
6. Presently, the system “Alerta Exportador!” has more than seven hundred subscribed users
and, since March 2002, more than five hundred enquiries about TBT issues were presented to the
Enquiry Point.  In some cases, Brazilian exporters pr ofited from the fact that their eventual difficulties
in exporting were removed by means of amicable understandings between Enquiry Points.
7. By means of a partnership with the National Industrial Education Service (SENAI – Serviço
Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial) – an orga nization funded by the private sector – INMETRO
published the booklet “Technical Barriers:  What they  are and how to overcome  them”, with a view to
foster the awareness about TBT matters to the Br azilian entrepreneurial and exporting community.
Two prints of this booklet have been edited so far, and more than 65,000 copies have been distributed
to federations, associations, universities etc.  In this booklet one could find, in a concise and directway, relevant issues related to TBT, such as the concepts contained in the WTO TBT Agreement, as
well as the activities performed by the TBT Brazilian Enquiry Point (INMETRO).
8. Yet, with a view to foster the awareness of the private sector about the benefits brought about
by the TBT Agreement, especially in terms of a more thorough participation in international
regulatory work, a series of training sessions were conducted in several Brazilian States, throughpartnerships with industry associations.  During those training sessions, a special part of the
programme was destined to inform the public about the “Exporter Alert!” system and a specific
booklet was prepared by the Enquiry Point to help the user access the system with more efficiency
and less time.
II. CO-OPERATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
9. Brazil considers that technical co-operation and assistance in the area of basic industrial
technology are essential to enable developing countries reduce trade problems related to TBT.
10. In this sense, the Brazilian Government has worked to establish agreements with other
Member country's metrology institutions.  Some Agreements signed in 2002 were:
− Memorandum of Understanding between INMETRO and the Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST - USA), signed in April 2002.  This Agreement aims to establish an
exchange of technological and scientific knowledge, and of services, with a view to make
significant improvements in strategic areas of Brazilian metrology.
− Agreement between INMETRO and Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB –
Germany), signed in April 2002, in horizontal co-operation in the scientific and technological
fields.  This Agreement restored the comprehensive co-operation partnership the twometrological institutions had, between 1969 and 1989.
− Memorandum of Understanding between  INMETRO and the Bundesanstalt für
Materialforschung und Prüfung  (BAM - Germany), signed in September 2002.  Among the
areas covered by the Memorandum it is worth mentioning material engineering, chemical
metrology and reference materials.  INMETRO would develop, certify and commercialize
reference materials in partnership with the BAM.
11. Still in relation to technical co-operation and assistance activities, INMETRO has made an
association with the International Trade Centre (ITC).  Within the scope of this association, a capacity
building event was conducted in Rio de Janeiro in October 2002, with the participation of 11 countries
from the Caribbean and Latin America:  “World Trade Net Topical Workshop:  WTO-TBT
Agreement Business Implication for the Private Sector in Latin America and the Caribbean”.  ApartG/TBT/2/Add.26/Rev.2
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from the participation of other member countries, the event comprised the participation of
representatives from private sector associations and regulatory agencies, which resulted in a broad and
instructive discussion on TBT-related issues.
12. The Ministry of Science and Technology has also started a co-operation programme with the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST – USA), in close contact with INMETRO,under which other research and technological institutions will benefit from strengthening their
activities in metrology, thus widening the measurement basis in Brazil.
13. It is also worth mentioning the participation of Brazil in the activities of the Inter-American
Metrology System (SIM), which brings together 34 countries from the Americas, and of the
Inter-American Accreditation Co-operation (IAAC).  Besides working towards regional mutual
recognition of measurements, accreditation of laboratories and certification bodies, Brazil has been
providing training for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.  Brazil is also co-operating,under SIM, with some African countries for the establishment of national programmes on chemical
metrology and reference materials.
III. TECHNOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
14. The Ministry of Science and Technology has been investing regularly in the strengthening of
standardization, metrology and conformity assessment activities in Brazil for the past 20 years.  Withthe 14 recently-created “ sectoral funds ” (2000), financial resources have been secured at around
US$ 15 millions a year for the investment in INMETRO's laboratories;  establishment and/or
complementation of calibration and testing laboratories;  modernization of the Brazilian Association
of Technical Standards (ABNT);  support to the development of technical standards for products
under certification programmes;  establishment of permanent systems for the identification of supplyand demand of technological services;  dissemination of TBT concepts;  human resources training etc.
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