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Standards and Competitiveness: Coordinating for Results (pdf)
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Standards and Competitiveness
The Office of Standards Liaison (OSL) works with members of ITA's Commercial Service, Market Access and Compliance, Manufacturing and Services, and Import Administration staff on trade matters that have a primary component involving standardization and/or conformity assessment, such as:
In working towards ITA's mission, OSL actively engages private sector stakeholders - including individual companies, industry and trade associations, and standards developing organizations - as well as pertinent U.S. government agencies and foreign regulators.
Notes from Foreign Markets
ITA employs standards attachés - located in the key markets of China, Europe and Central America - who monitor emerging standards issues having potential trade implications for U.S. businesses.
Standards News and Upcoming Events
On January 17, 2012, the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the United States Trade Representative released a memorandum to federal agencies on “Principles for Federal Engagement in Standards Activities to Address National Priorities." It reaffirms the U.S. approach to standardization. It lays out federal government objectives for standards engagement and outlines agency responsibilities in instances where agencies assume a convening role to find standards solutions for technologies/issues identified as national priorities. This memo provides important guidance for agencies as they engage with the private sector on standards issues of interest to agencies. Direct Link