G/TBT/2/Add.125  
 
6 September 2017  
(17-4746) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
 
 IMPLEMENTATION AND A DMINISTRATION OF THE  AGREEMENT  
ON TECHNICAL BARRIER S TO TRADE  
COMMUNICATION FROM LIBERIA  
Addendum  
The following communication under Article 15.2 of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade , 
dated 4 September 2017,  has been received from the delegation of Liberia .  
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Pursuant to Article 15.2 of the Agreement on Te chnical Barriers to Trade, the G overnment of 
Liberia would like to inform the Committee of the measures taken to ensure the implementation 
and administration of the Agreement . 
The obligation of relevant Liberian authorities to meet the requirements on notification and e nquiry 
procedures given by the TBT A greement have been incorporated into act MCI/NO.001/09/2015 
establishing the Enquiry  and Notification point at the M inistry of Commerce and Industry. Contact 
points have been established at the ministries, agencies and private i nstitutions which may enact 
technical regulations to ensure functioning of the notification procedures and to provide  for 
functioning of the Enquiry point.  
Presidential  executive order 74 of 10 December 2015 mandates that all ministries, agencies and 
private i nstitutions mentioned in Liberia's WTO post -accession plan are to timely and fully 
implement the activities of t he plan with Ministry of Commerce and Industry coordinat ing the 
implementation process.  
The Regulatory and Standard Setting B odies of Liberia which include ministries and a gencies 
peruse policies based on international  standards as developed by, but not l imited to the following: 
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO); the International Electro -Technical 
Commission (IEC); the Codex Alimentarius Commission; The International Organization for Legal 
Metrology (OMIL); the International Bureau for Weight and Measures (BIPM); the African Regional 
Standard Organization (ARSO).  
1  DEVELOPMENT AND APPL ICATIONS OF TECHNICA L REGULATION S AND CONFORMITY 
ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE S   
1.1.  The legal framework of the Republic of Liberia for technical regulations, standa rds and 
conformity  assessment procedures is governed by executive law, chapter 29 sec. 2 which created 
the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and empowered the Ministry to "execute broad powers 
with regard to protection to public interest and the achievemen t of the national goals through the 
establishment and enforcement of stand ards for commodities and trades" . Draft technical 
regulations and conformity assessment procedures made by the Liberian government are 
published on the Mi nistry of Commerce and Industry' s website: www.moci.gov.lr , and notifications 
are sent to the WTO.  G/TBT/2/Add.125  
 
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  2  STANDARDIZATION  
2.1.  The National  Standards Body Act is being validated by stakeholders and the Law R eform 
Commission and it will be sent to legi slature for ratification before 2018.  
3  TIME ALLOWED FOR COM MENTS  
3.1.  The expected  time limit for the submission of comments for writing on draft technical 
regulations, standards, and conformity assessment procedures is 60 days, with exception made in 
certain ca ses (depending on agency consideration where this period would be extended or  
reduced following the TBT Agreement).  
3.2.  The Ministry of Commerce and Industry is responsible for the implementation of the WTO 
agreements, and therefore, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry ensures that the obligations 
under the WTO agreements, including the TBT A greement , are fulfilled. The Division  of Standard of 
the Ministry of Commerce has been selected as the WTO TBT enquiry and notification point.  
3.3.  Comments  on draft laws and  regulations can be addressed to enquiry point and Notification 
Authority. Contact information:  
Lasana M. Donzo  
Coordinator  for Standards  
Bureau  of Industrial Service  
P. O. Box 941  
Website : www.moci.gov.lr   
Email : nep.info@moci.gov.lr ; lmdonzo@staff.moci.gov.lr ; lasanadonzo@yahoo.com   
Phone  no: 00231886524311/00231770302421  
 
3.4.  The enquiry point is responsible for the function of enquiries and notifications as decided by 
the Liberian TBT committee and it serves as the focal point for disseminating and receiving 
information to concerned regulatory departments and authorities on Liberia' s obligations under the 
TBT A greement.  
4  RELEVANT LAWS/REGULA TIONS  
4.1.  In Liberia, the application of standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment is 
governed by various legislation falling under various ministries and agencies as listed below.  
 
Law/regulation  Section  Scope  Status  
Ministry of Commerce and Industry 
act 29.2 Enforcement of Trade standards  In force  
Ministry of Transportation act  37.3 (d)  Develop, regulate and monitor 
standards for vehicles  In force  
Produce Marketing Corporation act  57.4 Set standards for cocoa, coffee etc  In force  
General Business Law  1.2 Weight and measures  In force  
Act adopting the new petroleum 
law Chap. VIII section 
8.3 Technical specification of products  In force  
Telecommunications act of 2017  Part XI, Section 6 (a) 
& (b) Certified Telecommunications 
equipment  In force  
Ministry of Foreign Affairs act  20.6 Legal services as regard to treaties, 
conventions  etc  In force  
Ministry of Public Works act  27.2 (f)  Enforcement of construction 
standards  In force  
Ministry of Agriculture act  Section. 28.2 9 (e)  Defining commodity standards  In force  
Environmental Protection Agency 
Act Part IV, sec 34 -37 Enforcing environmental standards  In force  
Ministry of Health act  Title 33, part v  Standards  In force  
 
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