RESTRICTED  
  
WT/ACC/LBR/8/Add.1  
 
28 November 2014  
(14-6927)  Page: 1/4  
Working Party on the Accession of Liberia Original: English  
  
  ACCESSION OF LIBERIA 
CHECKLIST OF TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE (TBT) ISSUES FOR  
CONSIDERATION IN ACCESSIONS 
A FOLLOW-UP TBT ACTION PLAN 
 Addendum 
The following submission, dated 30 October 2014, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Republic of Liberia. 
 
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  WT/ACC/LBR/8/Add.1  
 
- 2 - A Follow-up Action Plan for the Checklist of Illust rative TBT Issues for Consideration in Accessions 
Area of Development Current Status Action Priorities Responsible Stakeholder 
1.  Legislative framework Need to be identified for all industrial goods. 
Both technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment procedures referred to in governmental statutes. To prepare a study identifying: 
 - Regulatory authorities  - The areas and sectors the authority is/are 
regulating and enforcing 
(inspections/market surveillance). 
 
Eventual overlaps and/or co-ordination with 
other regulatory bodies should be highlighted. 
 The various legislative levels (laws and regulations), technical regulations and standards in Liberia must be  described in order to see how a specific area is regulated. This is essential also for highlighting mandatory and eventual voluntary components. Division of Standards, Ministry of Commerce 
and Industry.  Legal expertise is required in form of a lawyer well acquainted with the Liberian legal system (regulating industrial goods). 
2. Regulatory authorities identified Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry 
of Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Finance attended the TBT work shop (3-6.12.2013). Law Reform Commission participated also. 
The Environmental Protection Agency did 
not attend.  A more complete list must be created, see above.  See above 1. See above 1. 
3.  Co-operation and 
Coordination Current regulatory co-o peration identified 
relates to the legislative process in adapting industrial regulations, to the consultation process carried out by the Division of Standards with respect to adoption of standards.   Further regulatory work is carried out in the SPS committee under MoA.  There is also a group for the Food Fortification Alliance (discussing nutrition/mineral/vitamines 
(MoCI/MoA). 
 A draft bill exists with the purpose of promoting the use of The current consultation process of the 
Division of Standards must be documented in more detail.   A question is whether the current consultation process can be used for the future consultative practice for a TBT notification procedure or not.  Issues to be answered are Who is responsible for coordination, how is consultation made (in written/e-mail/meeting), as time frames 
for consultation and documentation. 
 The work of the technical group and SPS group should be described.  Division of Standards  
    
  WT/ACC/LBR/8/Add.1  
 
- 3 - Area of Development Current Status Action Priorities Responsible Stakeholder 
national/regional/international standards in 
Liberia: In this system  a National Standards 
Board shall be established.  Also the planned activities of a National 
Standards Board should be explained. 
4.  TBT Enquiry Point There are no recent documented plans for 
establishing a TBT Enquiry point.  However, the Government of Liberia has drafted the Terms of Reference and has identified the 
stakeholders relevant to the establishment 
of the TBT Enquiry Point.  A plan for establishing an Enquiry Point is not 
feasible before a complete picture of regulatory authorities and their responsibilities are cleared out.  
 
However a meeting should be held to discuss what the establishment of a national TBT Enquiry Point requires in practice and what institution should manage it (with an underlying motivation).  A consultative meeting sh ould be organized by 
WTO Unit and Standards Division.  
5.  TBT Notification Point There ar e no recent documented plans for 
establishing a TBT Notification point.  A plan for establishing a TBT Notification Point 
is not feasible before a complete picture of regulatory authorities and their responsibilities are cleared out. However a meeting should be held to discuss what the establishment of a Notification Point requires in practice and what institution should manage it (with an underlying motivation). A consultative meeting sh ould be organized by 
WTO Unit and Standard s Division with all 
relevant stakeholders on the establishment of a national TBT Noti fication Point.  
 The meeting should highlight the role and obligations of a national TBT Notification Point based on the TBT-agreement. In some documents a reference concerning the 
establishment of a national TBT Notification 
Point has been made to the WTO Unit. Various organizational options should be discussed and evaluated. 
6.  Trade Priorities Trade priorities of Liberia were discussed 
during the TBT work shop 3-6.12.2013. Mainly the priorities relate to agricultural products and tourism, but also to rubber, steel and industrial chemicals. Current trade priorities (both export/import of 
industrial goods) should be evaluated against existing regulations.   The aim is to confirm whether the current regulatory framework covers the most important goods on the market or whether new regulations are needed. As most trade priorities relate to agriculture 
and foodstuff, first analysis should be limited to areas that are regarded as major concern (electrical and electronic appliances, toys/children products, chemicals, cosmetics, constructions materials, etc.).  
  WT/ACC/LBR/8/Add.1  
 
- 4 - Area of Development Current Status Action Priorities Responsible Stakeholder 
7.  Quality Infrastructure There is no technical assistance project on 
the development of a holistic quality infrastructure in Liberia. The Government is however giving limited support for development of these functions according to international standards. The national standards laborato ry has received 
assistance (West African Quality Programme 2009-2012. Laboratory Equipment/Few Industries (water/food safety) but have difficulties in carrying out their work (lack of staff/resources/equipment/accreditation). The laboratory is however charge of microbiological testing, metrology and chemistry. Other conformity assessment 
activities are limited. There exist other 
laboratories.   The Standards Division of the Ministry of Commerce has the role to adapt standards managing national consultation thereof. There is no accreditation body. Market surveillance (inspection is carried out in some fields by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Inspections are carried out also by other ministries and a coordinating body is existing (National Inspection Body).
    The role various conformity assessment bodies (including legal metrology) should be explained as well as all the activities of Standards Division (MoCI) and BIVAC). The plans for a Standards Board should be investigated as draf ted out under Point 3 
above.  Aim to clear out (and separate) the preparation, adoption and implementation of 
standards on one hand, and existing conformity assessment and market surveillance activities on the other. A consultative meeting should be hosted by 
the Standards Laboratory to map out the existing systems and eventual weaknesses in the current system for conformity assessment  
(testing, certification,  metrology) for areas 
regulated and  enforced (by inspection/market 
surveillance) by authorities.  
 
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