WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/W/232 
8 December 2008 
 (08-6021) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures  
  
  
QUESTIONNAIRE ON SPS-RELA TED PRIVATE STANDARDS  
 
Note by the Secretariat
1 
  
1. The Secretariat document G/SPS/W/230 recommended,  as part of its proposed actions, that a 
comparative study be undertaken on the effects of private SPS standards.  The first phase of that 
comparative study consists of inviting interested Members to identify products of export interest 
whose trade is affected by private standards.  G/SPS/W/230 also suggested that the Secretariat 
develop a format for the use of Members in provid ing the relevant information, to ensure some 
consistency and comparability of th e information provided and to fac ilitate its consideration by the 
Committee. 
2. At its meeting in October, the Committee deci ded to proceed to gather and consider that 
information.  The attached questionnaire on SPS-related private standards is hence being circulated  to 
seek information from Members regarding products and markets of concern, the relevant private and 
international standards, trade effects, costs of comp liance and of certification, and other elements as 
described on pages 11 and 12 of G/SPS/W/230.  With  respect to the understanding reached at the 
October meeting, there is no limitation on the num ber of products a Member may identify as being 
affected by private standards. 
3. It should be noted that, in order to help Members in identifying studies or organizations that 
may assist them in determining the effects of SPS-re lated private standards on trade and development, 
the Secretariat has circulated a list of organizations th at are active in research on the effects of private 
standards (G/SPS/GEN/891). 
4. Please send your responses to the attached questionnaire by e-mail only
 to 
gretchen.stanton@wto.org with copy to ir ma.bracco@wto.org, by 16 February 2009 . 
_______________ 
 
 
                                                      
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO. G/SPS/W/232 
Page 2 
 
 
  QUESTIONNAIRE ON SPS-RELA TED PRIVATE STANDARDS  
 
 
PRODUCT-SPECIFIC INFORMATION 
(to be filled out for each export product facing private standards) 
Question Reply 
1. Product of export interest affected by private 
standards  
• HS number (4-6-8 digit)  
• Full description (incl. raw or processed)  
• Commodity scope (e.g. fresh produce, 
integrated, etc)  
2. Identify the product's (main) export market (s)  
• Country name  
• Countries (regional, international)  
3. Retailer/company/private trader/entity 
imposing the private standard  
4. Identify the type of your domestic businesses 
whose exports need to meet the private 
standards (e.g. small, medium, large, national, 
foreign or multi-national, private traders, 
farmers, etc)   
5. Description of the relevant private standard (s) 
applied in each of the product's export markets  
• Collective international schemes (e.g., 
some schemes are applied in a number of 
countries)  
• Collective national schemes (e.g., some 
schemes are applied in one Member 
country in a particular market segment 
such as retailers of fresh fruits and vegetables)  
• Individual firm schemes (e.g., particular 
manufacturer or retailer schemes operating at a company/firm level)   G/SPS/W/232 
 Page 3 
 
 
  PRODUCT-SPECIFIC INFORMATION 
(to be filled out for each export product facing private standards) 
Question Reply 
6. Content of the private standard  
• Scope2 (e.g. food safety, environmental, 
etc) 
• SPS-related provisions included/excluded 
in the private scheme  
• Date of entry into force/application  
7. Relevant Codex, IPPC or OIE standards (if 
any) for the product in question  
8. Do the private standard(s) requirements for the 
product in question correspond to the relevant 
Codex, IPPC and OIE standards for that same 
product?  
• Exceed the international standards  
• Do not exceed the international standards  
• Specific differences/contradictions with the 
international standard  
9. Do the private standard(s) requirements for the 
product in question correspond to the relevant 
official import requirements for that same 
product?  
• Exceed the official requirements  
• Do not exceed the official requirements  
• Specific differences/contradictions with the 
official requirements  
                                                      
2 The focus of this questionnaire is on those requirements relating to food safety, animal and plant 
health. G/SPS/W/232 
Page 4 
 
 
  PRODUCT-SPECIFIC INFORMATION 
(to be filled out for each export product facing private standards) 
Question Reply 
10. Do the private standard(s) requirements for the 
product in question correspond to official 
national regulatory requirements for that same 
product?  
• Exceed the official regulatory requirements  
• Do not exceed the official regulatory 
requirements  
• Specific differences/contradictions with the 
official regulatory requirements  
11. Negative (trade inhibiting) effects of the 
private standard (s) on the export of the 
product  
• Difficulties/impediments to trade  
• Data on trade impact (qualitative or 
quantitative)  
• Cost of compliance with the standard (s) (if 
any)  
• Cost of certification (if any)  
• Concerns related to accredited laboratories 
for certification (if any )  
• Multiplication of different standards for the 
same product  
• Development impact (exclusionary effect 
of smallholders from supply chain)  
• Other specific/quantifiable examples of 
negative impact   G/SPS/W/232 
 Page 5 
 
 
  PRODUCT-SPECIFIC INFORMATION 
(to be filled out for each export product facing private standards) 
Question Reply 
12. Positive (trade creating) effects of the private 
standard (s) on the export of the product  
• Additional market opportunity (if any)  
• Data on trade impact (qualitative or 
quantitative)  
• Other specific examples of positive impact 
(e.g. premium prices)  
• Benefits obtained from compliance with 
the private standards  
• Do the private standards facilitate 
compliance with the international 
standards?  Specific examples of where this 
has occurred / is occurring?  
• Do the private standards facilitate 
compliance with official SPS requirements (national requirements and/or the international standards)?  Specific 
examples of where this has occurred / is 
occurring?  
• Help in meeting development objectives  
13. Information on recognition of compliance with 
the private standard (s) for the export product  
• Recognition of exporters' certification or of 
available certification capacity (e.g. national certification available or 
certification by international body used)  
• Benchmarking mechanism with other 
standards  
• Identification/categorization of domestic 
businesses that meet the private standards (e.g. small, medium, large, national, foreign or multi-national)  G/SPS/W/232 
Page 6 
 
 
  PRODUCT-SPECIFIC INFORMATION 
(to be filled out for each export product facing private standards) 
Question Reply 
14. Any technical/financial assistance received to 
assist compliance with the private standard (s); 
and from who (government, standard setter, 
NGO, etc)?  
15. What is the main concern at issue regarding 
the private standard (s) face by your export 
product (s)?  
• Transparency  
• Inclusiveness  
• Predictability   
• Harmonization   
• Equivalence  
• Scientific justification  
• Number of standards faced  
• Cost of compliance/availability of 
compliance certification  
• Possibilities to challenge the decisions of 
the standard setter or of the certification 
body  
16. Identify which, if any, provisions of the SPS 
Agreement are relevant with regard to the 
difficulties arising from the requirements of 
the private standard (s)?  
17. For each product, describe what practical 
steps, if any, have been/are taken (or will be 
taken) with the export market to resolve the 
trade concerns posed by the private 
standard(s)?  
• At the government level  
• At the private trader/businesses level   G/SPS/W/232 
 Page 7 
 
 
  PRODUCT-SPECIFIC INFORMATION 
(to be filled out for each export product facing private standards) 
Question Reply 
18. What other issues does your product face on 
export markets in relation to the requirements 
established by private standards in those 
markets?  
19. Are you aware of any private standards 
imposed by your domestic businesses, private 
traders, etc? For which products? For what 
reasons? Which country(ies) are affected? Any 
concerns raised by foreign exporters?  
 
 
__________