G/SPS/GEN/1933  
G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
13 July 2021  
(21-5550) Page: 1/21 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  
   
 
 
ePing UPDATE  
RESULTS OF 2021 ePing SURVEY  
This document, prepared by the WTO Secretariat , contains an update on recent ePing activities as 
well as the results of the 2021 ePing survey . 
 
_______________  
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS  
1   OVERVIEW  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  2 
2   KEY TAKE -AWAYS FROM 2021 SURVEY  ................................ ................................ ....... 3 
2.1   General assessment  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 3 
2.2   Improving ePing services  ................................ ................................ ..............................  3 
2.3   Scaling up capacity building and outreach  ................................ ................................ ....... 5 
2.4   Conclusion  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  5 
ANNEXES  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  6 
A: ePing user profiles  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  6 
B: Technical assistance activities ................................ ................................ ...........................  8 
C: Actions in response to 2017 survey results  ................................ ................................ .........  9 
D: 2021 survey results in detail  ................................ ................................ ........................... 10 
 
 G/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
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OVERVIEW  
1.1.  During the 7th Triennial Review concluded in 2015, t he TBT Committee requested the WTO 
Secretariat to develop an online alert system for TBT no tifications , in cooperation with other 
organizations .1 In response, the WTO Secretariat joined forces with the UN Department of Economic 
and Social Affairs  (UN DESA)  and the International 
Trade Centr e (ITC ) for the development of an  
SPS/TBT notification a lert system called 
ePing .2 The online tool was  launched by the three 
partner organizations during the November 2016 
meeting of the TBT Committee.3 
1.2.  The publicly available ePing platform 
facilitates customized access  to the more than 
5,000 SPS/TBT notifications circulated per year. It 
also provides a range of communication options  
for Enquiry Points and other public and private 
sector stakeholders in a ddressing questions and 
concerns related to notifications (see Box on "Main 
ePing services" ).  
1.3.  Since its launch, ePing has seen a steady 
rise in users , with around 14,000 users from 185 
countries and territories  registered by June 2021 . 
Almost half of regi stered users are from the public 
sector, 40% from the private sector and the 
remainder from NGOs, academia, etc. Annex A  
below provides further details on the profile of 
ePing users and their alert preferences.  
1.4.  Ongoing ePing work  focuses on two main 
aspect s: capacity building and outreach activities , 
and enhancement of ePing services . Since the 
beginning of 2020, the WTO Secretariat has 
conducted 30 virtual training activities  on ePing , responding to the continued high demand  in 
this area. Annex B  provides further details on these. In parallel , the tripartite partnership has been 
working continuously on enhancements  to the system based on feedback received from the TBT 
Committee4, during capacity building activities , and through a first survey conducted in 2017 .5 
Annex C  provides a list of key findings from the first survey as well as actions the WTO Secretariat 
has undertaken to respond to these.  
1.5.  During the course of this year, the WTO Secretariat will be revamping and integrating its 
various online SPS and TBT tools, including ePing.6 Considering these upcoming changes, th e 
Secretariat conducted a n ePing survey to get better insights  as to why and how ePing  is being used 
and how it can be improved. The survey results point toward a high level  of satisfaction with 
ePing as well as some concrete suggestions for further improvements . Section 2 below 
highlights the key take -aways from the surve y. The full set of responses with details and 
accompanying charts are available in Annex D.   
 
1 G/TBT/37 , para. 5.12.d.  
2 www.epingalert.org . 
3 https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres16_e/pr783_e.htm . 
4 See, for example, TBT Committee's Eighth Triennial Review recommendations on  transparency 
(G/TBT/41 , para. 6.19) and Chair's reports of TBT thematic sessions on transparency held in June 2019 and 
February 2021, which include references to Members' experiences and expectations related to ePing 
(G/TBT/GEN/265  and G/TBT/GEN/312 , respectively).  
5 The results of the first survey were circulated as a joint symbol document in G/TBT/GEN/227/Rev.1  / 
G/SPS/GEN/1569 . 
6 The SPS/TBT Information Management Systems ( http://spsims.wto.org/  http://tbtims.wto.org ), the 
Notificatio n Submissions Systems ( https://nss.wto.org/tbtmembers  https://nss.wto.org/SPSmembers/en ), and 
the Trade Concerns Database (https://tradeconcerns.wto.org/en ).  
Main ePing services  
 
ePing alert : daily or weekly email alerts listing all 
new notifications matching users' interests in terms 
of markets and/or products.  
Database : searchable database including SPS and 
TBT notifications.  
National forum : forum spaces linked to 
notifications, where users from the same country 
can discuss notifications.  
International forum : forum spaces linked to 
notifications, wher e users with admin rights can 
post questions, additional information , or official 
comments/replies to notifications.  
Admin tool : advanced menu where users with 
admin rights, typically Enquiry Points, can access a 
list of domestic ePing users and send them 
messages.  
Admin Chat (pilot): chat feature which facilitates 
closed dialogues among selected ePing admin 
users.  
G/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
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KEY TAKE -AWA YS FROM 2021 SURVEY  
General assessment  
1,409 users , 12% of all users and 34% of admin users, responded to the survey, which included 
multiple choice  and open questions. The survey results indicate that ePing is highly appreciated  
by users, who have, on average, given it a mark of eight out of ten. 70% of respondents indicated 
that ePing had helped them take better decisions. These impressions are also reflected in the 
answers to the open questions. The quotes in italics in this Sectio n are selected comments from 
survey respondents, which relate directly to the key suggestions and takeaways identified.7 
"This is crucial information for our fresh produce industry and we only get 
it from ePing. Your ePing system is fantastic! Our industr y would have 
missed so much critical information without ePing. Thank you and please 
do not discontinue the ePing service."  
"I have a very good experience so much so that in meetings when business 
community raise questions on how they could know about reg ulatory 
requirements of a country, I  always refer them to ePing."  
The email alert is the most commonly used function as 82% of the respondents read their 
alerts either daily or weekly. 53% indicated to have used the ePing database search function as well. 
These results underline the importance of providing a continuous and reliable  alert  service . 
"ePing is an excellent service and we use it daily. Based on the email 
information, we are often in contact with our government, who also receive 
the daily updates . It means we can front an issue immediately saving time 
and resource."  
"When I receive the alerts regarding cosmetic regulations, I contact the 
industry association to analyse them and submit comments, if necessary. 
Sometimes on behalf of the industry, I share them with the government to 
ask for support."  
Improving ePing services  
Respondents identified several enhancements  that would further improve ePing's services. The 
Secretariat will be considering  the feedback and suggestions from users in further dev eloping ePing 
and the related SPS and TBT online tools.  Given resource considerations, some new or enhanced 
features might be introduced in phases.  
a. Develop a n ePing App : almost half  of the respondents indicated that an App to track 
new notifications would be useful. The WTO Secretariat is currently exploring the feasibility 
of this feature, together with ePing partners UNDESA and ITC.  
"A mobile application will be a great help to ease access to the 
alerts/notifications database."  
"It will be easy for export ers to get all notifications though their mobile 
phones."  
"Before ePing was created, it was very challenging to stay up -to-date with 
international changes relating to plant pesticide MRLs as well as changes 
to the approval status of active ingredients in the EU. The system keeps us 
informed and it works really we ll. My biggest fear with this survey is that 
you might plan on discontinuing the system or certain portions of it. If 
anything, you could just enhance it as you have proposed - the smart phone 
app is a fantastic idea! Thank you for all your hard work with designing and 
 
7 Some of the quotes have undergone minor editing for clarity.  G/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
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  maintaining this system. It is much appreciated by us users who know the 
value which it offers and who use it daily".  
b. Create b etter filters : over 40%  indicated the need for simplified filter options to help 
identify products and sectors of interest when registering or searching on ePing. This was 
also mentioned repeatedly in the open questions at the end of the survey. At the same 
time, the need for more complete information on HS/ICS Codes was also pointed out.8 The 
WTO Secretar iat will be looking into improving product information as well as filter options 
in the new version of ePing.  
"I work in plant biosecurity across all crops. I'd really like an easy way to 
filter out the animal relevant alerts without having to type every crop in my 
profile."  
"The filters are not easy to understand and therefore I get all the ePing 
information when I only want the animal health information."  
"I receive a lot of information that isn't relevant for the sector I work in; 
some simpler filters w ould be beneficial, such as clothing and apparel, 
footwear, homewares, electricals, chemicals."  
"About 30% of notifications are not classified with HS/ICS codes. Therefore, 
most search results are incomplete."  
c. Broaden scope  of alerts : 40% of respondents wo uld like to also receive alerts on 
notifications covered by other WTO Agreements. The WTO Secretariat is considering how 
this can be operationalized given the specificities of notifications under different 
Agreements.  
"Please consider the inputs to improve  ePing platform especially expanding 
to other agreements under WTO (not only TBT and SPS)."  
d. Maintain the ePing cha t: 86% of respondents with admin rights indicated their interest 
in using the Admin Chat, currently available in pilot mode, which allows ePin g users with 
admin rights to set up closed conversations with other admin users of their choice. 
Therefore, the WTO Secretariat will aim to retain this feature in the new version of ePing.  
e. Raise awareness on the function to share comments on notifications : 51% of 
respondents with admin rights are interested in sharing comments and replies on notified 
measures via ePing, while 80% are particularly interested in being able to access these. 
Therefore, this option will be maintained in the new version of ePing as well as related 
training.9 
f. Address language barriers : while not included in the multiple -choice questions, issues 
related to language barriers were raised often in the open question s at the end of the 
survey in relation the notifications, the notified measure s, and the platform itself.10,11 
"Language of notification can be an issue in some case. I had to review 
many alerts that provide no description, but a link to a PDF in Portuguese, 
which cannot be read by Google translate."  
 
8 Members have also made proposals for improving product coverage information in notifications in the 
context of the ongoing Ninth Triennial Review of the TBT Agreement  (JOB/TBT/404/Rev.2 ). 
9 JOB/TBT/396  provides further information on this ePing function.  
10 Members have also made proposals to facilitate access to translations of notified regulations in the 
context of the Ninth Triennial Review of the TBT Agreement ( JOB/TBT/404/Rev.2 ). 
11 A project carried out in cooperation with ITC in 2021 aimed at addressing some of the language 
barriers for Vietnamese ePing users. Under the project , funded by the ITC, a Vietnamese version of the ePing 
website was launched and notifications dealing with key export products translated in cooperation with 
students from the Foreign Trade University. Further information can be found here: 
https://ntmsurvey.intracen.org/epingvietnam   G/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
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Scaling up capacity build ing and outreach  
Survey results also highlighted the need to continue and scale up capacity building and 
outreach activities, for which the WTO Secretariat will aim to draw strength from partnerships  
with Enquiry Points, regional and international organiza tions as well as business or sectoral 
associations.  
g. Continue and broaden reach of capacity building:  three out of four respondents would 
like to receive training on ePing and this was also underscored in the open questions. The 
Secretariat plans to collabo rate further with regional and international organizations, 
consider launching a "training of trainers programme", and also explore ways to involve  
business /sector associations as they can serve as vehicles to reach out to private sector 
stakeholders , in particular MSMEs . 
"It would be interesting to hold a workshop on good practices in using 
ePing, where we can hear from different countries on how they take 
advantage of the information provided by ePing."  
h. Focus training on follow -up actions : respondents indicate that there is a lack of 
information on possible follow -up actions one can take to address questions or issues 
arising from the notified measures, such as whom to contact for more information, how to 
coordinate with public and private s takeholders, formulate comments or raise specific 
trade concerns. Concrete case studies can also shed light on how tracking and discussing 
notifications via ePing can help avoid trade problems. Therefore, future training 
programmes will put further emphasi s on these aspects.  
"We actually have challenges with the fact that after asking questions 
related to some notification to official Enquiry Point (EP) or Agency 
Responsible stated in notification form, the EP does not acknowledge our 
letter or reply to our  concerns. We also do not have any information 
whether our letter has reached the right person to handle the issue. It 
should be noted that their answers were really important for us to make 
decisions related to adjustment of production, testing, labelling  etc. At this 
moment, we would like to propose training or any event to develop 
guidelines that specify for each WTO Member, whom we should contact if 
we want to clarify some sectoral issues."  
i. Provide email updates and video tutorials : respondents asked t o receive more 
information on the ePing system, preferably via email updates and via video tutorials. The 
Secretariat plans to send out semi -annual ePing email updates to share significant changes 
to the system and latest news in terms of capacity building  activities. A Frequently Asked 
Questions part as well as video tutorials also will be added to the website.  
"I had an ePing training and that was so helpful to learn and to use the 
system. To train the related personnel/my colleagues, it will be so helpfu l 
to reach a short presentation/training video."  
Conclusion  
ePing caters to the needs of a diverse group of stakeholders and those who responded to the 
survey were overall representative of this diversity. The survey results indicate a high level of 
satisfaction with key ePing services but also point to some areas for further improvement. The WTO 
Secretariat wil l take this feedback into account in revamping its online tools and devising further 
capacity building and outreach activities. The Secretariat will also continue its fruitful partnership 
with ITC and UNDESA in this endeavour. In addition, the Secretariat is interested in collaborating 
with other regional/international entities as well as Members in raising further awareness on how 
SPS/TBT notifications and the ePing service can assist public and private stakeholders in tracking 
and responding to evolving p roduct requirements.G/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
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  ANNEX ES 
A: ePing user profiles  
The facts and figures provided below are based on information submitted by ePing users upon their 
registration for alerts.  
ePing users  
The total number of registered ePing users1 reached over 14,000 in June 2021, covering 185 
countries and territories . The number of users has risen steadily over the years, as the graph below 
indicates (see Figure 1).  
Fig. 1: Evolution in number of ePing users per month (cumulative)2 
 
 
Looking at the sectors ePing users are working in, almost half of the users come from the public 
sector and 40% from the private sector. 3% indicated to be working in both and 9% selected the 
option ' "other "'. 58% of ePing users affiliated with a private company indicated that their c ompany 
employed less than 250 employees, highlighting the significant share of SMEs benefitting from ePing. 
Just below half the registered users are female (see Figure 2) . 
 
1 The term "ePing users"  refers to "registered" ePing users. It is also possible to consult the ePing 
website without registering but with limited functions.  
2 The cu mulative number of users that selected "other" or "mixed (Public/Private)" are not included in 
this graph.  0200040006000800010000120001400016000
05.2016
07.2016
09.2016
11.2016
01.2017
03.2017
05.2017
07.2017
09.2017
11.2017
01.2018
03.2018
05.2018
07.2018
09.2018
11.2018
01.2019
03.2019
05.2019
07.2019
09.2019
11.2019
01.2020
03.2020
05.2020
07.2020
09.2020
11.2020
01.2021
03.2021
All Private sector Public sectorG/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
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  Fig. 2: ePing user s by gender and sector  
 
 
Government officials such as Enquiry Po ints and Notification Authorities can request enhanced admin 
rights to benefit from additional services, such as outreach to domestic users and an admin chat. 
Among all users, 253 have admin rights. 121 users have SPS admin rights covering 67 WTO Members  
and 167 have TBT admin rights, covering 89 WTO Members. In some cases, the same user has SPS 
and TBT admin rights given their responsibilities in both areas.  
ePing alerts  
The large majority of registered ePing users have opted to receive an ePing alert, eit her daily  (61%) 
or weekly (23%). 87% of those receiving an alert indicated to be interested in both SPS and TBT 
notifications. 7% receive only TBT notifications and 6% only SPS notifications (see Figure  3). 
Fig. 3: Alert frequency and SPS/TBT filter prefer ences of ePing users  
  
 
ePing users can also indicate on which products and from which WTO Members they would like to 
receive notifications. 44% of users have indicated that they want to receive notifications covering a 
specific set of products. 15% selected to only receive alert s of notifications from specific Members.  Male
54%Female
46%Gender
Public
48%
Mixed 
(public/private)
3%Private
40%Other
9%Sector
Daily
61%Weekly
23%No emails
16%Alert frequency
All
87%SPS
6%TBT
7%SPS/TBT filterG/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
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  B: Technical assistance activities  
The WTO Secretariat continues to deliver a high number of training activities on ePing, aimed at 
both public and private sector stakeholders. Since early 2020, the Secretariat ha s conducted 30 
virtual training activities, responding to specific requests. Many were organized in close collaboration 
with SPS/TBT Enquiry Points and/or in partnership with regional and international organizations. The 
WTO Secretariat also undertakes oth er promotional activities to raise awareness on ePing. In 2020, 
two video tutorials were developed on how to set up an alert on COVID -19 notifications3 and on how 
ePing can be used to share comments on notifications4.The tables below provide an overview of the 
Secretariat's activities involving ePing, conducted in 2020 and 2021 respectively.  
Training activities in 2020  
Beneficiaries  Dates , partners  Training activity   
ePing admin users, global  April, May; delivered three times in 
English, once in French and in Spanish 
to accommodate times zones/languages  Refresher course on 
ePing  
Trinidad and Tobago, 
government officials, 
private sector  June, September; three events for 
different groups of beneficiaries; in 
cooperation with the TBT EP  ePing seminar  
APEC economies, 
government officials  June, July; delivered twice to 
accommodate time zones; in 
cooperation with APEC  Notifying and tracking  
COVID -19 related SPS 
and TBT measures  
Paraguay, government 
officials   July Dialogue on the WTO 
TBT Agreement  
Caribbean, East African 
Community, Latin 
American Members, ePing 
admin users  October; delivered three times for 
different regions  Pilot ePing Admin Chat 
introduction  
TBT EPs housed in 
standardizing bodies, 
government officials   November, December; delivered twice 
to accommodate time zones; in 
cooperation with the ISO  Benefitting from the 
transparency framework 
of the TBT Agreement:  
Peru, government officials   December  Workshop on the WTO 
TBT Agreement  
Brazil, public and p rivate 
sector   December; in cooperation with EP and 
trade support institutions  Workshop on the WTO  
SPS/TBT  Agreements  
Training activities in 2021  
Beneficiaries  Dates , partners  Training activity  
South Africa, TBT EP, 
government officials, 
private sector  January, March, June; three distinct 
events for different beneficiaries; in 
cooperation with TBT EP  National seminars on the 
WTO TBT Agreement's 
transparency framework  
Arab and Middle East, 
government officials  January  eRTPC ePing module  
Bangladesh, gov ernment 
officials, private sector  March; in cooperation with UNDESA  ePing seminar  
Bahamas, private sector  March; in cooperation with SPS EP  ePing seminar  
Viet Nam, SPS and TBT 
EPs, government officials, 
private sector, Foreign 
Trade University students  March, April; in cooperation with ITC 
and SPS/TBT EPs; four events for 
different groups of beneficiaries  ePing seminars to 
facilitate access by 
MSMEs to regulatory 
information/translations  
St Lucia, private sector  April; in cooperation with TBT EP  ePing seminar  
Vanuatu, government 
officials  May; in cooperation with UNDESA and 
ITC ePing seminar  
Bhutan, gov ernment 
officials, private sector  May; in cooperation with UNDESA and 
ITC ePing seminar  
 
 
3 https://youtu.be/oHxxw1DF0pg .  
4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it5PN -vazuA&feature=youtu.be .  G/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
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  C: Actions in response to 2017 survey results  
The results of the 2017 survey indicated that users highly appreciated the customized alert and 
user-friendly set up and expressed interest in receiving further guidance on how to use the system. 
In response to the suggestions made by respondents, the foll owing modifications/enhancements 
were introduced or are being considered:  
j. Make it easier for ePing admins to track national users' profiles/preferences  
• The list of users now includes personal information and filter preferences.  
k. Receive notification alerts  as SMS on phones  
• This function is available, but it needs to be first set up by the admin user(s) of the 
Member interested in the SMS function.  
l. Allow better technical integration of ePing with other national websites/systems  
• The WTO Secretariat is looking  into developing an Application Programming Interface 
(API) to ease data exchange and integration.  
m. Convert ePing to local language  
• At the request of Viet Nam , the ITC, in collaboration with national partners and the 
WTO,  managed and funded a pilot project  to launch ePing in Vietnamese.  
n. Expand alerts to include SPS/TBT Committee documents, agendas, meeting dates  
• Looking into options to include a link to/alert on Special Trade Concerns in integrated 
version of online tools, additional information mig ht be added in the future.  
o. Expand alerts to other WTO notifications, technical assistance activities on offer  
• Adding other notifications is an option in the long run. The admin chat allows the WTO 
Secretariat to reach out to admins, typically Enquiry Poin ts, with alerts on technical 
assistance activities, workshops, webinars.  
p. Send alerts when proposed regulations are adopted  
• Both SPS/TBT Committees have adopted recommendations for Members to notify 
adoption/entry into force of measures through an addendum to an original notification. 
Whenever Members follow these and submit an addendum, alerts go out to 
subscribers. The recently revised TBT addendum format5 makes it easier to track when 
regulations are adopted and includes a specific field to enter "dates"  of adoption and 
entry into force. These changes will be reflected in ePing in an upcoming release.  
q. Improve product -based searches and alerts by making sure all notifications include HS/ICS 
codes or by introducing sectoral product categories  
• WTO Central R egistry of Notifications is assigning HS/ICS codes to the extent possible 
to facilitate searches; the Secretariat is also looking into other options to improve 
coverage of product information and facilitate sectoral searches.  
r. Introduce general discussion f orum, separate from notification -specific fora  
• Currently piloting a discussion forum not linked to notifications for users with 
administrator rights (Admin Chat).  
 
5 G/TBT/35/Rev.1 . G/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
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  D: 2021 survey results in detail  
The survey was sent to all users (12,765 in March 2021), in either English, French or Spanish, 
depending on the language  chosen  in the ir ePing profile. After the initial email, two additional 
reminders were sent to encourage users to fill out the survey. 1,409 users, or 12% of all users, filled 
out the su rvey. The response rate for users with admin rights was a lot higher; 34% of admin users 
responded.6  The survey included an additional set of questions for respondents with admin rights.  
The share of respondents working in the public and private sector, as well as the type of organization 
respondents work in, indicate that the respondents are a good representation of ePing users in 
general  (see Figures 4 and 5). 
Fig. 4: ePing users and respondents by sector  
  
 
Fig. 5: Share of ePing users and respondent s by organization type  
  
 
 
6 Response rat es are calculated taking into account bounced email messages, which were deducted from 
the number of ePing users to which the survey was sent.  Public
48%
Mixed 
(public/private)
3%Private
40%Other
9%ePing users
Public
53%
Mixed 
(public/private)
7%Private
36%Other
4%Respondents
0100200300400500600700800
0100020003000400050006000
ePing users RespondentsG/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
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  The survey focused on four main topics: staying informed on product requirements, the ePing email 
alert, reviewing and improving ePing and , finally , getting to know ePing better.  
Staying informed on product requirements  
In the first set of questions, respondents were asked to indicate how they got to know ePing and 
which other tools they use to stay informed about product requirements in export markets.  
About four out of ten resp ondents had learned about the ePing  tool through their government. One 
third of the respondents had heard about the platform through a regional or international 
organization. Business or sector organizations (14%) and the media (6%) were of less importance  
in awareness raising ( see Figure 6). However, looking at the respondents working in the private 
sector only, 28% learned about ePing through business and sector associations, and 9% through 
the media.  
Fig. 6: Reponses to survey question on how respondent s heard about ePing  
 
 
Not surprisingly, a large majority of the respondents use ePing to stay informed about changes 
to product requirements  in export markets (SPS/TBT regulations). However, almost all 
respondents (94%) combine ePing with other sources o f information. Almost half of them also 
receive information through their government and about one third via trading partners. The WTO 
Documents Online (DOL)  system was also selected by 30% of respondents. One out of four 
respondents combine ePing with inf ormation from sector associations, and 23% use the SPS/TBT 
IMS ( see Figure 7).  39%36%
14%
10%
6%How did you hear about ePing?
G/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
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  Fig. 7: Reponses to survey question information channels to stay informed on product 
requirements  
 
 
The ePing email alert  
A second set of questions focused on the ePing email alert, and possible follow -up actions upon 
receiving an alert. 88% of respondents receive ePing email alerts. 86% of those respondents 
receiving an alert read the alert either daily (40%) or weekly (42%). There is no difference between 
respondents wo rking in the public sector and those working in the private sector ( see Figure 8).  
Fig. 8: Reponses to survey question on alert frequency  
 
 
When asked about follow -up actions taken upon receiving an email alert , the large majority looked 
for more inform ation on the notification either by reading the draft regulation (81%) or by browsing 87%
45%
30% 29%25% 23%
4%
0200400600800100012001400'How do you stay informed about changes to your product 
requirements in export markets (SPS/TBT regulations)?
Every day
40%
About every week
42%About every month
11%Less than once a month
6%Never
1%How often do you read your ePing email alert?G/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
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  the internet to find more information (51%). About one quarter of the respondents contacted a 
domestic government upon receiving an alert and a similar number of responde nts contacted a 
sector association, producer, or exporter. About 20% respondents made adjustments to comply with 
the new regulation. When looking at respondents from the private sector only, this is increased to 
25% (see Figure 9). 
Fig. 9: Reponses to survey question on follow -up actions upon receiving an ePing alert  
 
 
Taking a closer look at the answers from ePing users with admin rights on the question about follow -
up actions taken, coordination activities are clearly more important to those users. 43% contacted 
a sector association, producer or exporter versus 26% when looking at all respondents. 42% 
contacted a domestic government official or Enquiry Point , while this is only 26% for all respondents. 
25% contacted a foreign government official or Enquiry Point compared with 13% of all respondents 
(see Figures 9 and 10). 
Respondents with ePing admin rights were also asked whether they had discussed a notification in 
a national SPS or TBT Committee upon receiving an ePing alert, and 36% indicated to h ave done 
so. 14% of respondents with admin rights indicated that they  had raised a specific trade concern in 
the SPS or TBT Committee on a notification received via ePing.  81%
51%
26% 26%
19%
13%
7%
020040060080010001200Have you taken any of the following actions upon receiving an 
ePing email alert?
Information
Coord inationG/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
- 14 - 
 
  Fig. 10: Responses to survey questions on follow -up actions upon receiving an ePing  
alert (ePing admin users only)  
 
 
Respondents were invited to provide contact details if they were willing to share further information 
regarding their experiences following up on notification alerts. 203 respondents provided their email 
address, of which  19 ePing were users with admin rights and 184 were regular ePing users. The 
WTO Secretariat intends to contact several of these respondents to develop user stories that can 
inspire other ePing users and stakeholders to take action upon receiving an alert to avoid trade 
disruptions and address potential issues at an early stage.  83%
43%42%
38%
33%
25%
14%
7%4%Have you taken any of the following actions upon receiving an 
ePing email alert? (ePing admin users only)G/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
- 15 - 
 
  Reviewing and improving ePing  
The third set of questions dealt with the evaluation of the ePing tool and sought inputs to improve 
the services offered by ePing . Asked about the use fulness of ePing on a 1 to 10 scale, the average 
score was 8, with no difference between respondents from the public and private sector. 70% of 
respondents indicated that ePing had helped them take better decisions (see Figure 11).  
Fig. 11: Responses to s urvey question on usefulness of ePing tool  
 
 
81% of the respondents have used other ePing features  besides the email alerts. Over 50% 
searched the ePing database  containing all SPS and TBT notifications , and the function to download 
notifications. A quarter of respondents have used ePing to find contact details of Enquiry Points and 
Notification Authorities and have saved a search filter on the website ( see Figure 12). 
Fig. 12: Responses to survey questi on on ePing features used  
 
 Yes
70%Not sure
23%No
7%Has ePing helped you take better informed 
decisions?
53%51%
26%
22%
19%
Searched the ePing
databaseDownloaded a
notification from the
websiteSearched Enquiry
Point/Notification
Authority contact
detailsSaved a search filter on
the websiteNoneWhich of the following ePing website features have you used, 
besides the alert?
G/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
- 16 - 
 
  45% of respondents indicated that an ePing App to check new SPS/TBT notifications would be an 
improvement to the ePing service (see Figure 1 3). This was the option most often selected when 
asking about ePing improvements. Simplifying product filter options when registering was selected 
by 43%. This issue was also raised repeatedly when asked to give any general remarks on ePing in 
an open question at the end of the survey. The option to expand alerts to cover notifications under 
other WTO Agreements was also selected by 43% of participants. 38% indicated that more 
information on how to use ePing via training or video tutorials for example would be an improvement. 
37% would like to have an option to ask question s on notified measures via ePing.  
Fig. 1 3: Responses to survey question on how to improve ePing  
 
 45%43% 43%
38%37%
16%
9%
Develop an ePing
smartphone App
to check new
SPS/TBT
notificationsSimplify product
filter options
when registering
(e.g. option to
select
industry/sector)Expand the alerts
to cover
notifications
under other WTO
AgreementsProvide
information on
how to use ePing
(e.g. through
training, video
tutorials, etc.)Have an option
to ask questions
about a notified
measure on
ePingMake ePing
touch screen
compatibleNo improvement
necessaryHow can we improve ePing? 
G/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
- 17 - 
 
  Getting to know ePing better  
A final set of questions focused on outreach and training activities a s well as  actions to improve the 
understanding and knowledge of ePing. Questions addressed issues related to training possibilities, 
communication channels and possible topics of interest.  
Three quarters of the respondents would like to receive training on ePing , with a majority opting 
for a virtual train ing (see Figure 1 4). When asked to give any additional remarks about ePing in an 
open question, 31 respondents reiterated the need for more training. No other topic was mentioned 
more often.  
Fig. 1 4: Responses to survey questions on ePing training  
 
 
Respondents were particularly interested in finding additional information on notified regulations, as 
66% selected this option when asked about which topic(s) they would like to receive more 
information (see Figure 1 5). 55% indicated to be interested in info  on how to search the database  
of all notifications , and 43% would like to get information on how to understand the content of an 
ePing email alert. About one third was interested in learning how to use the national discussion 
forum, and 32% indicated they  wanted to learn more about follow -up actions upon receiving an 
alert.  
 68%
24% 23%
Yes, virtual Yes, face-to-face NoWould you like to receive training on ePing?
G/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
- 18 - 
 
  Fig. 1 5: Responses to survey question on topics on which ePing users would like to 
receive more information  
 
 
Email updates are the preferred channel to receive additional information on ePing , selected 
by 65% of respondents. The second most selected option was  video tutorials. One third indicated 
that additional info could be shared via a frequently asked questions section on the ePing website. 
About one out of three respondents with ePing admin rights indicated they would like to receive 
information on ePing v ia the Admin Chat. ( see Figure 1 6) 
Fig. 1 6: Responses to survey questions on preferred channel to receive information on 
ePing  
 
 
The ePing admin tool  
To get insights into how ePing users with admin rights use ePing in general and the ePing admin 
features in particular to improve coordination on notifications, these ePing users were asked an 31%36%43%55%66%
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000Undertake action upon receiving an ePing email alertUse the national discussion forum to discuss notified
regulationsUnderstand the content of the ePing email alertSearch the ePing databaseFind additional information on notified regulationsOn which topic(s) would you like to receive more information?
65%
54%
28%
18%
6%
email updates Video tutorials FAQ section on
websiteSocial media No need for additional
informationWhich would be your preferred channel to receive additional 
information on ePing?G/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
- 19 - 
 
  additional set of questions. The questions also served to raise  awareness about recently added 
features.  
40% of the respondents with ePing admin rights said they have forwarded the ePing alert to reach 
out domestically , while 19% have used the contact details of the domestic subscribers to send 
emails to them. 17% us ed the sharing function in the search page to share a notification with 
domestic stakeholders. The national discussion forum had not yet been used by those responding to 
the survey ( see Figure 1 7). 
Fig. 1 7: Responses to survey question on using ePing to re ach out to domestic 
stakeholders  
 
 
ePing users with admin rights were also asked whether they were familiar with the newly added 
'Admin Chat'. 64% of respondents indicated that they know this function is now available on ePing. 
86% indicated that they are  interested in using the Admin Chat to reach out to other ePing admin 
users. ( see Figure 1 8).  
Fig. 1 8: Responses to survey question on using the Admin Chat 
 
 40%
19%17%
7%
0%
Forwarded (parts of)
the ePing email alertUsed the contact
details of domestic
ePing subscribers to
send emailsShared notifications
via the ePing search
pageSent messages to
domestic ePing
subscribers through
the ePing admin pageDiscussed a
notification on the
ePing national forumHave you used ePing to reach out to ePing users or domestic 
stakeholders in general? Please indicate how:
Yes
86%No
14%Would you be interested in using this feature to 
reach out to other ePing users with admin rights?
G/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
- 20 - 
 
  The survey also asked to what extent ePing users with admin rights were interested in using the 
international forum to share and read official comments on notifications  and subsequent 
replies, as this has been accommodated through some recent updates in li ght of a TBT Committee 
Triennial Review recommendation.7 80% responded that they are interested in using this feature to 
read comments published, while half expressed interest in the feature to also share official comments 
and replies. ( see Figure 1 9) 
Fig. 19: Responses to survey question on using the comment sharing function of ePing  
 
 
ePing users with admin rights were also given a few additional options when asked how ePing can 
be improved . Again, the option to develop an App, this time to access the Admin Chat, was the 
most popular of the options, with one out of three selecting this option. A quarter of respondents 
would like to integrate ePing in other national webtools. ( see Figure 20) 
 
7 G/TBT/41 , para.  6.19.f.ii.  80%
51%
14%
0%
Yes, to read official
comments/replies submitted
by other governmentsYes, to share official
comments/replies submitted
by my governmentNot sure NoRecently, ePing has been updated to facilitate sharing of 
official comments on notifications and replies to comments. 
Would you be interested in using this feature?G/SPS/GEN/1933 • G/TBT/GEN/317  
 
- 21 - 
 
  Fig. 20: Responses to survey question on how to improve ePing  
 
About half of the ePing users with admin rights would like to receive more information on the 
ePing  admin chat, and a similar number of respondents would also like to receive more information 
on how to reach out to national stakeholders using ePing. 44% w ould like to receive more information 
on how to share an official comment on a notification via ePing. ( see Figure 21) 
Fig. 21: Responses to survey question on topics on which ePing users would like to 
receive more info  
 
 
__________  
 14%14%26%31%
Improve integration with other WTO webtools such as the
SPS and TBT Information Management SystemsInclude additional SPS and TBT information in the ePing
database (e.g. Specific trade concerns, other SPS/TBT
documents)Allow for integration with other national webtoolsDevelop an ePing smartphone app to access the admin
chatHow can we improve ePing? 
49% 49%44%
Use the ePing Admin Chat to reach out
to other SPS/TBT officials registered on
ePingUse ePing to reach out to national
stakeholders (public and private)Share an official comment on a
notification on the ePing websiteOn which topic(s) would you like to receive more information?