The role of metrology communities under the WTO system: measurement science and conformity assessment procedures

Technical barrier to trade (TBT) has become one of the significant non-tariff measures with the advent of the WTO system in 1995. The key issue in TBT is that technical regulations, standards, and conformity assessment should not be used as barriers to trade. Regarding conformity assessment, the WTO/TBT Agreement recommends members to enter into negotiations for the mutual recognition of results of each other’s conformity assessment, as well as to permit participation of conformity assessment bodies located in other members. In this paper, it will be reviewed why the role of measurement science is important in terms of international effort to eliminate technical barriers to trade particularly in the area of conformity assessment.