RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/ACC/YEM/22 
16 May 2008 
 
 (08-2269) 
Working Party on the 
Accession of Yemen Original:   English 
 
 
 
ACCESSION OF YEMEN 
 
Revised Checklist of Illustrative Tec hnical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Issues1 
 
 
 The following submission, dated 13 April 2008, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Republic of Yemen.   
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1 This document revises the TBT checklist contained in WT/ACC/YEM/5. WT/ACC/YEM/22 
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Status of Implementation and Progress 
1. Standstill:  the introduction of new standards, 
technical regulations and conformity 
assessment procedures  should be fully 
compatible with the TBT Agreement. 1. Introduction of new standards, technical 
regulations and conformity assessment 
procedures would be in compliance with TBT Agreement principles;  however, full 
compliance with the Agreement shall require 
financial and technical assistance as well as an appropriate transitional period. 
2. Submission of Statement on Implementation. 2. Please refer to answer No. 1 above.  Yemen will 
endeavour to notify WTO of TBT Agreement 
implementation, upon accession. 
3. Establishment and operation of a single Contact 
Point for Information ("enquiry point"). 3. Yemen will notify the WTO of the 
establishment of the TBT enquiry point, upon 
accession. 
4. Identification of authority responsible for 
notifications, publications and other internal 
procedures to ensure transparency obligations 
are met on an ongoing basis:  
 (a) identification of publication where notices 
of proposed technical regulations and 
conformity assessment procedures will 
appear;  (a) Notices and proposed technical regulations 
are currently distributed to domestic 
competent authorities.  They will be 
published in the "Specifications Magazine", issued by YSMO. 
 (b) identification of authority responsible for 
making notifications to the WTO;  (b) Please refer to answer No. 3 above. 
 (c) guidance/law to ensure regulatory 
authorities afford non-discriminatory consideration of comments in the 
preparation of a final regulation;  (c) Law No. 44/1999 "On Standardization, 
Metrology and Quality Control" (Annex 1). 
 (d) guidance/law to ensure regulatory 
authorities allow a reasonable period of time between the final publication of a 
technical regulation and conformity 
assessment procedure and its entry into 
force so that suppliers can adapt; and  (d) Please refer to answer No. 4(c) above. 
 (e) publication and notification of work 
programme for standards and non-governmental conformity assessment 
procedures, including publication of 
notices of draft standards and an opportunity for public comment.  (e) Please refer to answers No. 4(a) and (c) 
above. 
5. Development and Application of Technical 
Regulations and Conformity Assessment 
Procedures:  Existence of legal and/or administrative underpinnings (or "reasonable 
measures" as appropriate) to ensure ongoing 
compliance with provisions of the agreement concerning, in particular:  
 (a) non-discrimination with respect to the 
treatment of products;  (a) Yemen does not discriminate between 
domestic and imported products when  
technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures are developed and 
applied.  WT/ACC/YEM/22 
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   (b) the prohibition of unnecessary obstacles to 
international trade and the consideration of 
less trade-restrictive alternatives to 
fulfilling legitimate objectives;  (b) Yemen, as a member of ISO and Basel 
Convention among others, complies with 
international standards, evidence, and 
recommendations developed by international organizations, when technical 
regulations and conformity assessment 
procedures are developed, approved, and applied. 
 (c) the ongoing review of technical 
regulations to ensure they are appropriate 
to achieve the desired legitimate objective;  (c) Yemen continuously reviews its technical 
regulations to ensure their appropriateness 
to achieve desired legitimate objectives. 
 (d) the consideration of appropriate 
international standards, guides and 
recommendations as a basis for technical 
regulations and conformity assessment 
procedures;  (d) Yemen considers international standards, 
guides and recommendations as a basis for 
technical regulations and conformity 
assessment procedures. 
 (e) the consideration of equivalent technical 
regulations of other Members;  (e) Yemen will positively consider technical 
regulations of other Members in accordance with the TBT Agreement;  
however, this requires receiving 
appropriate technical assistance. 
 (f) the acceptance of the results of conformity 
assessment procedures conducted by 
bodies in an exporting Member country; 
and  (f) Yemen promotes the application of the 
mutual recognition regime of conformity 
assessment with other countries, within a 
framework of non-discriminatory verification procedures and Yemeni 
recognized specifications. 
  Laboratories based in other countries were 
eligible for recognition in Yemen if 
considered technically competent and 
meeting the required conditions (i.e. ISO/IEC17025). 
 (g) non-discriminatory and cost-based fee 
structure.  (g) Fees and charges for conformity 
assessment of products are levied on a non-
discriminatory basis between domestic and imported products, which are 
commensurate with costs of services 
rendered. 
6. Development and Application of Standards and 
Conformity Assessment Procedures:  Existence 
of legal and/or administrative underpinnings (or "reasonable measures" as appropriate) to ensure 
ongoing compliance with provisions of the 
agreement concerning, in particular:  
 (a) non-discrimination with respect to the 
treatment of products;  (a) Yemen does not discriminate between 
domestic and imported products when 
standards and conformity assessment 
procedures are developed and applied. 
 (b) the prohibition of unnecessary obstacles to 
international trade;  (b) Please refer to answer No. 5(b) above. 
 (c) the consideration of appropriate 
international standards, guides and 
recommendations as a basis for standards;  (c) Yemen considers international standards, 
guides and recommendations as a basis for 
national standards in accordance with the agreement. 
 (d) non-discriminatory and cost-based fee 
structure.  (d) Please refer to answer No. 5(g) above. 
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