Revised edition of the technical paper issued in 2001 under the same title. Questions and answers on all aspects of quality control and management directed to exporters - covers technical regulations and standards, product certification, testing, metrology, quality management; explain ISO 9000, ISO 14000, and the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP); examine the value of accreditation and the reasons for its difficult implementation in developing countries; discuss the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade and its benefit to the business community. The role of ITC in providing assistance and information in the area of quality management is presented and tools it makes available to SMEs are described.

Keyword(s) : Certification, Conformity Assessment, HACCP, Metrology, Quality Control, Quality Management, Standards, Trade Barriers