Many standards developed by ISO and IEC have become National Standards of Canada. Some National Standards have also been developed jointly with foreign standards organizations such as Underwriters Laboratories in the United States. Half the standards approved as National Standards of Canada in 1995 were adoptions or adaptations of international standards. Ensuring consistency between national and international standards is only the first step. Firms that operate internationally also need to have their test results, certifications or registrations recognized in countries where they are doing business.
Some firms simply repeat conformity assessment steps for each market.
Another option is to work with an organization that is accredited in more than one country. Both methods can be time-consuming and expensive, either for the client or the conformity assessment organization. Instead, the Standards Council is working to ensure that its accreditations are recognized internationally, through vehicles such as mutual recognition agreements. Similarly, NIST-accredited laboratories have accredited status in Canada. The Standards Council is also involved in efforts to establish broader regional and international agreements.