Beyond the agreements 5. Developing countries 6. Technical regulations and standards back to top Technical regulations and industrial standards are important, but they vary from country to country. Having too many different standards makes life difficult for producers and exporters. If the standards are set arbitrarily, they could be used as an excuse for protectionism.
Standards can become obstacles to trade.
The Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade tries to ensure that regulations, standards, testing and certification procedures do not create unnecessary obstacles. The WTO's version is a modification of the code negotiated in the 1973-79 Tokyo Round. Moreover, members are not prevented from taking measures necessary to ensure their standards are met. In order to prevent too much diversity, the agreement encourages countries to use international standards where these are appropriate, but it does not require them to change their levels of protection as a result. The agreement sets out a code of good practice for the preparation, adoption and application of standards by central government bodies.