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Potential Benefits and Future Prospects of Thailand and the United States: Dialogue and Cooperation in the Area of Standards and Conformity Assessment as well as Sanitary and Phyto Sanitary/ Food Safety

BySONGSAK SAICHEUA

The Royal Thai Embassy, Washington DC23 August 2006

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Outline

1. U.S. Standards Strategy and International Cooperation

2. TBT Standards and Conformity Assessment Issues

3. International Cooperation/ Arrangement :the U.S. in SPS/ Food/ Food Safety

4. SPS/ Food Safety Issues5. Possible Cooperations between

Thailand and the U.S.

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1. The U.S. Standards Strategy and International Cooperation

The U.S. Standards Strategy Recognizes that competition to set globally

accepted standards in a major driving force in international trade

Two key new elements in the U.S. Standards Strategy

Work to prevent standards from becoming trade barriers

Strengthen international outreach program to promote understanding of the benefits of voluntary, consensus-based, market driven sectoral standards

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The U.S. Standards Strategy and International Cooperation (cont.)

International Cooperation of the U.S. in standards Department of Commerce Standards

Initiatives Intensive Training for Standards Attaches Training for U.S. + Foreign Commercial Officers Create a “best practices database” Reach out to U.S. industries, hosting industry-

specific roundtables on standards Appoint a standards liaison at International Trade

Administration (ITA) Standards officers in China, Belgium, Mexico, Brazil Spotlight markets: China, EU, Brazil, India, Russia,

ROK, Japan, Western Hemisphere Standards as a part of National Export Strategy

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U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)

U.S.-China Standards and Conformity Assessment Cooperation Program

Afghanistan Standards Development Vietnam Standards Development USTDA supported standards-related activities in

Brazil, Russia, Thailand, Mexico

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Other Cooperations (cont.) Note: Ideas discussed in the “Options for Action Summit” at NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland, U.S.A, on 18-19 July 2006

FTA (WTO+)/ MRAs are good first steps (support trade)

U.S.’s strategy to build and sustain relationship with other countries

Incorporate regulatory info in training (sometimes difficult to include)

MOU programs, workshops, open houses, training modules, outreach/ friendship agreements, trade shows

Involve representatives from developing countries on boards, policy and technical committees

DOC/NIST Standards in Trade Workshops

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Other Cooperations (cont.) Note: Ideas discussed in the “Options for Action Summit” at NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland, U.S.A, on 18-19 July 2006

ANSI meetings with foreign NSBs and outreach meetings

USNC liaison with other national committees (IEC members)

Bilateral and multilateral meetings at IEC meetings; regional offices

Committee meetings in foreign countries Invite representatives from other countries to

annual/special meetings Still large need for U.S. standards in foreign

countries Targeting countries who want U.S. assistance/

tied to trade

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Opportunities for Coordination, Harmonization, and PartneringNote: Ideas discussed in the “Options for Action Summit” at NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland, U.S.A, on 18-19 July 2006

Make staff available for visits, workshops, meetings, etc. in the U.S. and abroad

Identify opportunities for participation in FTA/MRA discussions Coordinate with FCS/Standards attaches Regardless of sector-specific standards strategy approaches-remember

common developing country practices and important of maintaining U.S. participation within traditional ISO/IEC/ITU process when possible (and the perils of not)

Coordination of U.S. standards system-wide technical assistance efforts Stronger U.S. participation (experts) in important international areas Funding needed (education/training can help & shared funding) Recruiting new people – new generation of standards and CA experts Education (benefits of standards) at all levels Create and maintain a central resources of information on U.S.

technical assistance Create and maintain a database/process of experts/ resources to talk

on standards

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Positive Aspects of Current Technical Cooperation

Seminars are working well, great demand, great participation

Seminars provide opportunities for frank discussion on standards-related trade issues

Very successful U.S. officers training in standards issues

Technical cooperation activities are fully supported by all stakeholders

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Challenges in provision of U.S. Technical Cooperation Technical cooperation with foreign countries should be

increased Standards development should be based on the partner

countries’ need How to sustain current positive technical cooperation Lacks of full understanding of U.S. funding agencies about

standards and their importance to U.S. competitiveness The need for more forward looking of U.S. standards-related

agencies and authorities Need for recognition of importance of standards at U.S. highest

level Need for more effective coordination among agencies

concerned Need for database of standards and standards activities Need more resources/ more effective means of technical

cooperation Technical assistance VS Technical cooperation

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2. Thailand – U.S. TBT/Standards and Conformity Assessment (SCA) Issues

U.S. Concerns overly burdensome, cost, duration

complexity of TFDA permitting process Concerns over measures proposed or

implemented by TISI results: Radio Disturbance limits of personal computers TISI technical regulation requiring all

uninterruptible power system to meet certain testing standards

Concerns over large-displacement motorcycle traffic from express ways and motorcycle emissions regulations

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Thailand - U.S. TBT/Standards and Conformity Assessment (SCA) Issues (cont.)

Thailand Different SCA at the U.S. federal,

state, local governments Lack of knowledge and understanding

about U.S. SCA Rule of origin labeling Some specific issues: toy, cement, etc. Clinical Trial process for

pharmaceutical products of the U.S.

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3.International Cooperation/ Arrangement of U.S. in SPS/ Food/ Food Safety

SPS in U.S. FTA SPS Committee SPS Cooperation

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FDA International Arrangements: 71 agreements/arrangements

27 Countries and 1 Inter-organization: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, WHO

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FDA International Arrangements: 71 agreements/arrangements (cont.)

Products/sectors Milk (Australia, Belgium, Denmark) Dry milk (Australia, Belgium, Denmark) Medical products (Singapore) Food products (Philippines, Russia) Medical devices (Taiwan, EU) Fish and fishery products (NZ) Veterinary equivalence framework

agreement (EU) Safety and quality of fresh and frozen

Molluscan Shellfish (Mexico) Ceramicware certification (China)

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FDA International Arrangements (cont.)

Thematic arrangement Sharing and exchange of information (Canada, EU,

France, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland) Good laboratory practice (Sweden, Germany, Italy,

France, Canada) Good manufacturing practice (Australia, EU) Agricultural trade: veterinary drug and pesticides

(Canada) Scientific/ regulatory fields of health cooperation

(Canada, Mexico) Food safety (EU) Veterinary Equivalence Framework Agreement (EU)

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Equivalence Recognition/ Process of USDA

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The U.S. National Food Safety Program

Overview Produce and import safety initiative Surveillance Inspection and compliance Food safety education/ International

outreach Research Risk assessment

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4. SPS/Food Safety Issues

Thailand Hundreds of Thai agricultural and food

products exported to the U.S. have been rejected every year

Thai herbal products still cannot be registered in the U.S. (Pueraria Marifica or Kwoa Krue, etc)

Pork and pork products Poultry and poultry products Fruits and vegetable Country of origin labeling Bioterrorism

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SPS/Food Safety Issues (cont.)

U.S. Poultry products Most concerns are tariff and customs

aspects

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5. Possible Cooperation between Thailand and the U.S.

Cross-sectors Cooperation Thailand’s active role in SPS/food safety and SCA Promotion of U.S. standards and cooperation SCA Forum/ Mechanism/ Committee SPS/ Food Safety Committee Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) Equivalence Agreement (EA) MOU, workshops, exchange of experts, officials,

training, outreach program, trade fairs/shows Standards fairs/exhibitions Exchange of information and regulatory

cooperation

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SCA Cooperation

Thailand-U.S. SCA Fairs/symposium Possible standards officers/office in Thailand:

regional hub (DOC) Thailand-U.S. SCA Technical Cooperation

Program/Framework (USAID, USTDA, ANSI, NIST, etc)

Setting up of U.S. SCA-related private firms/ lab in Thailand

Standards testing: Thailand 2-step approach Standards education/curriculum National Standards Strategy of Thailand Coordination/ exchange of information: ISO/IEC/ITU Database development cooperation

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SPS/Food Safety Cooperation

Recognition of equivalence: meat, poultry

Cooperation in using regionalization Arrangement/cooperation in some

specific products/sectors: veterinary, fishery products, medical products, etc

More exchange of visits/exchange of information

Avian Influenza Herbal and health-related products:

registration and clinical trial process

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SPS/Food Safety Cooperation (continued)

Human aspect of food safety: cooperation, R&D (U.S. National Institute of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, etc)

Food Safety Cooperation Program/Framework Regulatory aspects Food safety handling Food labeling Food safety education/training Risk assessment Inspection/ surveillance R&D

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Other Cooperations

GAP, GMP, GHP Laboratory cooperations/MOU