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TRADE POLICY


Given the lack of a clear international consensus on how an international standard should be defi ned, bilateral and plurilateral trade agreements take on much greater importance. BSI has emphasized in all its interactions with UK government that it should not make concessions to trading partners that undermine the interests of all those within the UK that participate in the development of international standards, or give an unfair advantage to a specifi c trading partner over the interests of the UK.


INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS MAKE A GLOBAL TRADING NATION


• International standards create a common language to do better business: a passport to trade


• The UK is a leader in international standards development, delivering UK soft power globally and enabling innovation and economic growth at home


• International standards give UK consumers a voice across the world


• European regional standards remove market frictions across Europe and are part of the international standards system


• UK trade policy should maximize the strategic opportunities from UK standards leadership and deliver trade deals supported by common international standards


When it comes to bilateral FTA


negotiations with trading partners, the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with the EU is a good model to follow. The TCA lists specifi c bodies that produce relevant international standards, including ISO and IEC among others.


“The list allows the inclusion of other bodies as long as they operate on the basis of a national delegation, either headed by government or government appointed national standards bodies,” said Frank. “Referencing these international standardizing bodies in trade agreements contributes to UK compliance with its WTO commitments while upholding the national interest. “It also ensures a fair and level playing fi eld between trading partners.


“Even where international


standards do not exist, government must also proceed with caution,” Frank continued. “Some countries may seek to use trade negotiations to impose legal recognition on the UK government of that country’s national or private interest standards in the absence of international standards. The risk is higher in areas where standards provide a presumption of conformity with regulatory requirements in the UK, such as toys, construction products or PPE.” Giving legal recognition to other


countries’ private interest and other national standards without the guaranteed ability of UK stakeholders to infl uence the content of those standards on a systematic basis would, BSI believes, be an unacceptable


WTO TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE


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loss of national control over the content of standards that confer


legal advantage on the UK market. “This could ultimately affect the


quality and safety of the products that are placed on the market in the UK, eroding trust in these products, something that must be avoided at all costs,” said Frank. “Rather than grant recognition in UK


law to standards over which the UK has no guaranteed infl uence, the UK government should encourage trading partners to work together to reduce standards-related barriers to market access on a reciprocal basis.


“Where international standards have yet


to be developed, bilateral trade relationships are the perfect opportunity to develop joint standards in priority areas that can then be promoted internationally – this is by far the


more fruitful approach and places the UK in a far stronger position.” Frank added, “The UK has a long tradition of leading and infl uencing the development of standards and, through our global reputation and infl uence, promoting homegrown standards to become international standards. We don’t want to become a taker of other countries’ standards and we do not want, for the sake of a trade deal, to put in jeopardy a well trusted and valued system of standards development in the UK. That system is recognized globally and is an important factor in the UK’s global competitiveness. “The international standards system


that we are part of builds trust in the whole market, helping to drive down compliance- related market access barriers. Trade agreements are the perfect opportunity for the UK to strengthen its leadership in international standards, and by so doing, make trade easier across the globe.”


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