From China to Saudi Arabia, Argentina to Venezuela there are a multitude of ways that new testing practices and requirements are causing headaches for foreign manufacturers attempting to enter those markets.

Complaints about multiple testing have been on the rise in the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Technical Barrier to Trade (TBT) standards committee. According to Vivien Liu, counselor for the WTO's Trade and Environment Division, conformity assessment complaints are emerging as bigger trade barrier complaints than international standards such as ISO 9000 and ISO 14000.

Problems for outside industry arise most often from regions of the world like Latin America and Africa for example, which don't recognize worldwide testing practices outlined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) as part of IEC/Conformity Body or CB scheme that promotes one-stop testing in certain technical areas. That's according to Dale Miscyznski, former head of standards at Motorola and now president of The ISOagile Group. Miscyznski and John Donaldson, vice president for conformity assessment at the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), offered this overview of the worldwide testing scene:

China Favors Own Products

While there are some improvements, foreign products still have a tough time in China. Citing the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Year 2000 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, Donaldson says in some ways conditions for outsiders exporting agricultural goods to China have improved since the signing in April 1999 of the Bilateral Agricultural Cooperation Agreement. This removed longstanding barriers to imports of US grain, citrus, meat and poultry.

On the other hand, he says US and non-US companies, alike, complain that the safety and inspection procedures applied to foreign products are more rigorous than the Chinese apply to domestic products. Moreover, inspection procedures are murky, at best, even though Chinese law provides that all goods must be subject to inspection prior to importation, affecting about 800 imported goods.

In terms of specific product categories, industry has complained about potential barriers to trade existing for both cosmetics and electronics. Under new standards for cosmetics, for example, the USTR reports that each individual product containing one of the regulated substances must undergo separate testing procedures. Electronics companies cite lack of transparency, lack of national treatment, and difficulty in determining relevant standards in China's safety licensing system.

Miscynzski finds some truth in accusations about China and also convenience "for companies to throw stone at China simply because they don't have the expertise [to work in the Chinese system]. Companies that have made the investment in China and have local Chinese agents there understand how to work through those kinds of things," he says. However, he adds that Chinese testing labs "are in a constant state of turmoil and there is some reorganization going on even as we speak."

New System May Aid Exports to Middle East

Donaldson finds Saudi Arabia to be the most restrictive and problematic when it comes to testing and conformity assessment. Its International Conformity Certification Program applies to 76 consumer product lines. The program is managed by Intertek Testing Services, which inspects and tests on behalf of SASO (Saudi Arabia Standards Organization) all shipments bound for Saudi Arabia. Shipments valued at less than $5,000 are exempt, as well as all food and agricultural products.

Nonetheless, he says, complaints about the implementation of the program abound, including lack of transparency, ad valorem, fees and favorable treatment for members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Members include Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, Donaldson says, "The big quarrel is shortened shelf-life requirements of the GCC that affect American food suppliers much more than their European counterparts, who are geographically closer." US manufacturers complain that the levels the GCC has set for shelf life are arbitrary.

On the positive side, he says, the GCC is planning to implement a system for registering GCC companies that comply with the ISO 9000 international quality management standard. The central accreditation body will be the Gulf Standards and Metrology Organization (GSMO). An agency in each of the six countries will inspect factories, make recommendations, and issue registrations. The GSMO is negotiating with the EU to put the program in place. The EU is sending experts to help the GCC in technical and training aspects of the program and to set up mutual recognition systems for certification and quality-control mechanisms.

Latin America Keeps Changing the Rules

Donaldson says industry has been grappling with Argentina's change in product approval processes. In the electrical products area they have put in place some new regulations that require an IRAM-the national standards body and national certification agency-mark on certain products.

Colombia put in place new regulations requiring country-of-origin certification using only Colombian-accredited testing officials, or a body certified by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). "This creates problems because IAF is dealing only with ISO 9000 and the [new Colombia] regulations are applying to product certification," according to Donaldson. He calls the new regulations well intended, but not workable.

Like Colombia, he says, many South American countries lack the infrastructure for testing approvals used in industrialized countries. Many are working toward developing infrastructures, but there are gaps in their processes. "So while one is frustrated, one has to be a little sympathetic," he says.

Miscyznski cites problems that have emerged in recent years with Brazil and Venezuela . "In October, 1999, for example, Brazil began to enforce a series of previously dormant measures applying domestic safety and quality standards to imports. Venezuela has some 300 obligatory domestic standards for commodities, which are being applied to certain imports. Venezuelan importers allegedly have complained that the standards are applied more strictly to imports than to domestic products," he explains.

In some countries, he adds, procedures for compliance to safety standards appear inconsistent, redundant, and non-transparent. Regulations that require product retesting are cumbersome, costly, and especially burdensome on small- and medium-sized enterprises. Some countries even require certification from independent local laboratories rather than labs in the exporting country.

Miscyznski finds Latin America similar to dealing with China, but for different reasons. Most of the Latin American countries do not belong to the IEC. Therefore their labs cannot participate in the IEC-CB scheme. This is a process where national labs between various countries recognize each others' test results.

"For example, if you had a product that requires safety certifications and you took it to [UL] in the United States and you said you want it to be tested for Europe and Japan, you can take it to Japan and they will accept the results from UL and issue a certificate, and you can sell the product in Japan. That kind of facility does not exist in Latin America as non-members of the IEC," he says.

EU Testing Creates Non-Tariff Barriers

US companies have long complained that the EU efforts to harmonize members' economies have created non-tariff trade barriers for outsiders. The CE Mark for product health, safety and the environment, has topped the list of testing practices most bothersome to US industry. But Donaldson says the US would benefit from being less critical of the EU and look at how outsiders are affected by our myriad federal and state regulations.

The lesson: Wherever you are selling, keep on top of differing rules and changes in standards.