Abstract:
Nations that trade internationally expect proven compliance of imported
agricultural products and manufactured goods, against increasingly sophisticated
technical requirements. These requirements can easily become perceived or real
Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT’s) by their trading partners. After a suitably detailed
introduction to the topic, the role of and approaches to conformity assessment in
addressing TBT’s is investigated. Using examples taken from the Accelerated Shared
Growth Initiative for South Africa (ASGISA), gaps in the provision of conformity
assessment services, as well as the possible future roles of both the private and
public sector are then explored. The article concludes by noting the important role
of an appropriate and sustainable conformity assessment infrastructure as part of
the industrial policy framework needed to deliver the intended benefi ts of ASGISA
not only for South Africa but also for the SADC region.
