Global Fastener News

John Wolz

Accreditation bodies from 28 countries worldwide signed their agreement to an arrangement for accepting technical test and calibration data for exported goods.
The arrangement was signed by 36 laboratory bodies at the general assembly of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and goes into effect January 31.\
According to the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), a product tested by a lab accredited by one of the signatory bodies will be accepted by all other signatories in their countries.
�For many years, the retesting of goods by an importing country has been considered a major technical barrier to trade,� ILAC chair Belinda Collins said. �Since the mid-1970s the World Trade Organization has identified such technical barriers as a major concern to world trade. Such barriers can not only add significantly to the cost of goods entering a country, but they can delay and in some cases prevent the goods from being accepted by foreign markets.�
Under the agreement �goods tested in one country should enjoy easier access to participating foreign markets.�
�The ILAC arrangement will provide a technical underpinning to international trade by promoting cross-border stakeholder confidence and acceptance of accredited laboratory data,� A2LA president Peter Under said.
North American signatories are the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program, the International Conference of Building Officials Evaluation Service and A2LA.
For information contact ILAC. E-mail: ilac@nata.asn.au Web: ilac.org \