G/TBT/15.2/N/ZAM  
 
6 December 2023  
(23-8291) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
 
IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE AGREEMENT  
ON TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE  
COMMUNICATION FROM ZAMBIA1 
The following communication under Article 15.2 of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade , 
dated 24 November 2023 , has been received from the delegation of Zambia .  
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1.1.  In accordance with Article 15.2 of the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) 
and considering the decision of the TBT Committee of 14 July 1995, concerning Statements on 
Imple mentation and Administration of the Agreement as contained in document G/TBT/ 1/Rev.10   of 
9 June 2011, the Zambian Government submits to the Committee this statement on the 
implementation and administration of the Agreement in Zambia.  
1.2.  The Government of the  Republic of Zambia accepted with effect from 1 January 1995 the 
Agreement establishing the WTO, as well as Agreements and associated Legal Instruments included 
in the Annexes.  
1.3.  The Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry (MCTI) is the contact point on all  matters 
relating to the implementation of the WTO TBT Agreement and  has the overall responsibility of 
ensuring that the obligation under the Agreement is fulfilled.  
1.4.  The institutional framework comprises several regulators within Government Ministries, and  
Departments as well as parastatal organizations whose mandates include the development of 
technical regulations, inspection and conformity assessment services in different sectors. These 
include among others, the Zambia Bureau of Standards, Zambia Metrolo gy Agency, Zambia 
Compulsory Statutory Bodies,  and private and public accredited laboratories in the medical and 
mining sector. Other institutions that support the Ministry in the implementation of the WTO TBT 
Agreement listed at 1.10.  
1.5.  In strengthening the  legal and institutional framework that supports the implementation of the 
agreement, the Government of the Republic of Zambia reengineered the National Quality 
Infrastructure in Zambia and established an integrated Technical Regulations Framework as 
espou sed in the 2011 National Quality Policy. This was done through the enactment of the Standards 
Act No. 4 of 2017; Compulsory Standards Act No. 3 of 2017; Technical Regulations Act No. 5 of 
2017 and National Metrology Act No. 6 to 2017.  
1.6.  These Acts have led to the restructuring of both the Technical Regulations regime and the 
current quality infrastructure by merging quality institutions or creating new ones as outlined below:  
a. The National Technical Regulations Act No. 5 of 2017 established the Department  of 
Technical Regulations in the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry. The Department 
spearheads the development and implementation of the technical regulation framework 
and provides technical guidance to regulatory agencies in preparing, adopting and applying 
non-discriminatory technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures with 
 
1 This document replaces Zambia's original notification under Article.15.2 of the TBT Agreement 
contained in G/TBT/2/Add.106 . G/TBT/15.2/N/ZAM  
 
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  respect to products, processes, or production methods. This is aimed at ensuring the 
effective implementation of the provisions of the TBT Agreement.  
b. In accordance  with the requirements of the WTO TBT Agreement and as espoused in the 
Technical Regulations Act No. 5 of 2017, the Government of the Republic of Zambia, has 
designated the Department of Technical Regulations in the Minist ry of Commerce, Trade 
and Industry , as the WTO TBT Agreement Notification Authority for Zambia. This function 
was previously managed by the Department of Foreign Trade which is also under the 
Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry.  
c. The implementation and administration of the WTO TBT Ag reement is supported by the 
Standards Act No. 5 of 2017. This act continued the existence of the Zambia Bureau of 
Standards (ZABS), as the National Standards Body that develops, promote s and publish es 
voluntary Zambian National Standards. In accordance wit h the requirements of the 
Agreement, the Government of the Republic of Zambia has designated ZABS as the 
National Enquiry Point.  
d. ZABS provides a selected number of standardizations, certification and conformity 
assessment services to industries. Aside fro m ZABS, some conformity assessment 
services, mainly testing, are also provided by a number of medical laboratories and private 
sector entities serving the mining industry. These laboratories are accredited by SADCAS 
to the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard.  
e. Zambia accesses the accreditation services from the Southern African Development 
Community Accreditation Services (SADCAS) a multi -economy accreditation body 
established in terms of Article 15 B of the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Annex to the 
SADC Proto col on Trade with the primary purpose of ensuring that conformity assessment 
service providers (calibration/testing/medical laboratories, certification and inspection 
bodies) operating in those SADC Member States which do not have national accreditation 
bodies are subject to an oversight by an authoritative body.  
f. The Compulsory Standards Act No. 3 of 2017 established the Zambia Compuls ory 
Standards Agency by transforming the Inspections Department of the Zambia Bureau of 
Standards into an independent statu tory body under the MCTI. The establishment of the 
Agency was necessitated by the need to separate the administration of compulsory 
standards which are regulatory in nature from voluntary standards development and 
remove any possible conflict of interest a nd align it to international best practices as 
enshrined in the WTO TBT Agreement.  
g. ZCSA administers, maintains,  and ensures compliance of compulsory standards in Zambia. 
It ensures pre -market approval of high -risk products falling within the scope of comp ulsory 
standards and conducts market surveillance on such products.  
h. The Metrology Act No. 6 of 2017 established the Zambia Metrology Agency by merging 
the Zambia Weights and Measures Agency and the Metrology Department at the Zambia 
Bureau of Standards. Z MA maintains national measurement standards, traces 
measurement standards to the International System of Units and registers the calibration 
and measurement capabilities in the International Bureau of Weights and Measures.  
i. The Agency further provides calib ration and legal metrology services by regulating all 
weighing and measuring instruments used in commercial transactions, law enforcement, 
safety, health and environmental management. The calibration services offered by the 
Zambia Metrology Agency are accr edited to the International Standard ISO/IEC 17025.  
j. Other legislation that suppo rts the application of technical regulations and implementation 
of the WTO/TBT Agreement which falls under different Ministries, include  the Food Safety 
Act No. 7 of 2019, Environment Management Act of 2011 and the Public Health Act.  
k. The "Food Safety Act No. 7 of 2019" is administered by the Ministry of Health and it provide 
for food safety and human health. The Act regulates any food har mful to human health; 
the sale of poisonous or unwholesome food; deception of character, nature, composition G/TBT/15.2/N/ZAM  
 
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  and quality of food (including clear labelling, packaging or advertisements); sanitation in 
premises where food was being prepared (including resta urants, slaughterhouses). The 
Act also regulates the importation of foods, with a focus on labelling.  
l. The "Environment Management Act of 2011" provides for the protection, preservation and 
improvement of the environment, and the control of hazards to huma ns and Zambia's' 
biodiversity. The Act also provides for the coordination, implementation and enforcement 
of policies, pursuant to the national objectives on environment protection.  
m. The "Public Health Act" provides for general sanitation and hygiene matte rs, with the aim 
of controlling epidemic diseases and preventing or suppressing the spread of infectious 
diseases. The Act also provides for the protection and examination of water (including 
bottled water) and water supplies to protect human health.  
1.7.  Additionally, Zambia Metrology Agency regulates both locally produced and imported pre -
packaged commodities in relation to net content and labelling to protect the public from risks 
associated with false measurements and promote fair trade.  
TBT-Relevant Legisla tion:  
• National Technical Regulations Act No. 5 of 2017  
• Standards Act No. 4 of 2017  
• Compulsory Standards Act. No. 3 of 2017  
• Metrology Act No. 6 of  2017 
• Food Safety No. 7 of  2019 
• Public Health Act, 1960  
• The Medicines and Allied Substances Act No. 3 of 2023  
• Competition and Consumer Protection Act No. 24 of 2010  
• Road Traffic Act No. 11 of 2002  
• Plant Pests and Diseases Act Chapter 233 of 1996  
• Information and Communications Technologies No. 15 of  2009 
• The Customs and Excise Act Chapter 322 of the Laws of Zambia  
• Town and Country Planning Act Chapter 283 of 1961  
• Energy Regulation Act 12 of  2019 
• The Animal Health No. 27 of  2010 
• Animal Health (Import and Export of Animal, Animal Product, Animal By -Product or Article) 
Regulation 93 of 2020  
• Control of Goods Act Regulations  
Relevant Regulatory Agencies  
• Energy Regulation Board  
• Food and Drugs Control Laboratory  
• National Water Supply and Sanitation Council  
• Road Transport and Safety Agency  
• Tropical Disease Control Research Centre  
• Zambia Environmental Management Agency  
• Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority  
• Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority  
• Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Service  G/TBT/15.2/N/ZAM  
 
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  • Business Regulatory and Review Agency  
1.8.  Section 17(5) of the "National Technical Regulations Act No. 5 of 2017" provi des for early notice 
of the draft technical regulations or conformity assessment procedures being proposed for adoption, 
so as to allow written comments within a period of not less than 60 days to be submitted by 
interested parties.  Before adopting a stand ard, Zambia Bureau of Standards accords interested 
parties at least 60 days for the submission of any comments, in accordance with the Code of Good 
Practice for the preparation, adoption and application of Standards contained in Annex 3 of the TBT 
Agreemen t. Technical regulations are published in the Government gazette once approved.  
1.9.  Notices of technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment procedures are 
published in the official Government gazette once approved.  
1.10.  The Depa rtment of Technical Reg ulations at the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry is 
the WTO/TBT National Notification Authority and Zambia Bureau of Standards is the Enquiry Point 
of the Republic of Zambia. All enquiries concerning Zambia's domestic regulations, standards and 
conformity assessment procedures in force should be addressed to the following:  
National Notification Authority  
The Permanent Secretary  
Att: Department for Technical Regulations  
Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry  
8th, 9th and 10th Floors  
New Government Complex  
Nasser Road  
P.O Box 31968  
LUSAKA  
Tel: (+260) (211) 223617 /(+260) (211) 228301/9 Email: info@mcti.gov.zm  
 
Enquiry point of the Republic of Zambia  
Zambia Bure au of Standards (ZABS)  
P.O. Box: 50259  
Plot No. 4526, Lechwe House  
Freedom Way - South -end  
Lusaka  
Tel: (+260) (211) 231385 / (211) 227075/ (211) 227183  
Fax: (+260)(211)238483  
E-mail: info@zabs.org.zm  
certification@zabs.org.zm   
 
 
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