What is the WTO/TBT Enquiry Point?
The World Trade Organization (WTO) / Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Enquiry Point supplies WTO and foreign countries with information on compulsory local standards, conformity assessment procedures and technical regulations related to products under the scope of the TBT Agreement. It also informs local industry and trade of similar developments in other countries.
Who is the WTO/TBT Enquiry Point for Suriname?
Article 10.1 of the WTO TBT Agreement requires that each member country establish an Enquiry Point. The Government of the Republic of Suriname designated the Suriname Standards Bureau (SSB) as the National Enquiry Point in Act Suriname Bureau of Standards (SB. 2006 no 30, amended by SB 2012 no 42).
How does it operate?
The SSB Enquiry Point supplies the WTO with notifications of proposed local measures (technical regulations, standards and/or conformity assessment procedures) that may have a significant effect on trade for dissemination to its member countries. WTO member countries are allowed a minimum of sixty (60) days to comment on a proposed measure. The Enquiry Point also receives notifications from other WTO member countries and interested stakeholders are afforded the opportunity to submit their comments via the Enquiry Point. The Enquiry Point provides upon request particulars or copies of the proposed technical regulations (See Article 2.9.3 of the TBT Agreement).
What we do
Distributing notifications to and from the WTO to local stakeholders;
To provide comments on domestic and foreign measures received to the appropriate regulatory authority for consideration;
Access to strategic information essential for the design, manufacture, marketing, export and import of products and services;
Respond to technical questions on various topics, including: Surinamese local standards and technical regulations, CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) standards, international standards and conformity assessment procedures and TBT measures;
Register for regular TBT updates with ePing
ePing is a free online web service, offered by the World Trade Organization (WTO), which provides private and public stakeholders with up-to-date information on regulations in export markets around the world, including product requirements and standards.
With ePing's e-mail alert service, registered users can receive SPS / TBT notifications that are of particular interest to them, based on criteria such as products or export markets.
ePing wants to bridge that gap and provide timely information about changes in technical trade barriers (TBT) and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements of trading partners to producers, exporters, governments and other interested users.
ePing is of potential interest to all types of stakeholders, including government agencies, standards offices, producers, exporters, importers, service providers, small and medium-sized enterprises, multinationals, international organizations, research institutes, NGOs, etc.
Go to https://www.epingalert.org/en to sign up for ePing
If you have any questions about ePing Alert, send us an email at info@ssb.sr
Additional sources
List of mandatory standards in Suriname