RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/IT/SPEC/Q1/12
27April 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-1692)
Original: English Committee ofParticipants ontheExpansion ofTrade
inInformation Technology Products
REPLIES TOTHE SURVEY
Communication from theUnited States
Thefollowing communication hasbeenreceived from thePermanent Mission oftheUnited
States on23April 1998.
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./.G/IT/SPEC/Q1/12
Page2
Survey onStandards forInformation Technology Products
1. Does your government have mandatory technical regulations toensure thesafety of
information technology equipment? Ifso,please identify. Arethese requirements harmonized
withIEC950? Ifnot,please explain thecurrent practice.
TheU.S. Government requirements onsafety forinformation technology (IT)products are
based ontheAmerican National Standard forITproduct safety, which isharmonized withthe
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard 950. TheU.S. Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) requires thirdparty certification forproducts usedintheworkplace.
Thiswork mustbeperformed infacilities approved byOSHA under itsNationally Recognized Testing
Laboratory (NRTL) program.
Inaddition, theU.S.Food andDrug Administration (FDA) requires thatproducts containing
alaser(e.g., aCD-ROM drive) meetFDAlasersafety specifications andproducts containing acathode
raytube(e.g., avideo monitor) meet FDA x-radiation specifications. TheFDA specifications are
similar to,butnotexplicitly harmonized with,therequirements ofIEC950.TheFDAaccepts supplier 's
declaration ofconformity toitssafety specifications.
2. Does yourgovernment havemandatory technical regulations relating toelectromagnetic
interference forInformation Technology equipment? Ifso,please identify. Arethese requirements
harmonized withCISPR 22?Ifnot,please explain thecurrent practice.
TheU.S.Government requirements relating toelectromagnetic interference forinformation
technology equipment arecontained inPart15oftheU.S. Federal Communications (FCC) rules.
Under these regulations, mostinformation technology equipment maybeplaced ontheU.S.market
under asupplier 'sdeclaration ofconformity. Manufacturers ofthisequipment havetheoption ofusing
thetechnical standards contained inPart15orCISPR 22,provided under thelattertheequipment meets
some additional criteria (e.g., U.S.voltages). Personal computers andpersonal computer attachments,
however, areeither subject tocertification bytheFCCorsupplier 'sdeclaration ofconformity contingent
ontheuseofanaccredited laboratory. Laboratory accreditation isbased onISO/IEC Guide 25.
Telecommunications terminal equipment andradio transmitting equipment aresubject tocertification
bytheFCC.
3. What conformity assessment procedures, either inrespect oftheproduct orthe
manufacturing process, doesyour government require forapproval ofinformation technology
products (including electro-magnetic compatibility (EMC), electrical safety, telecommunications
andradio terminal equipment, andother areas)?
Maysuppliers perform these procedures (e.g.testing, declaration ofconformity), ormust
third parties perform these procedures?
What international guidelines orstandards, ifany,arethose procedures based on?
Seerespective responses above.
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