Standards
Standards vs. technical regulations
Standards
Documents established by consensus and approved by a recognized body. They provide rules, guidelines, or characteristics for common and repeated use, aimed at achieving the optimum degree of order in a given context.
Technical regulations
Lay down product characteristics or related processes and production methods with which compliance is mandatory, unlike standards.
Why standards matter, for local and export products
Standards create a level playing field by setting minimum requirements for the performance of a product or service. Because these requirements are developed through consensus — a process that gives every stakeholder a voice — the resulting standards are practical, agreeable, and implementable.
By providing fair, consensus-based benchmarks for evaluating products and services, standards help manufacturers:
Improve quality
Reduce production costs
Minimize waste and the need for rework
Compete more effectively in the market
At the regional level, the AfCFTA (Annex 6) recognizes harmonized standards as key to eliminating Technical Barriers to Trade. When paired with conformity assessment, harmonized standards support smoother cross-border trade by removing the need to retest products already certified in one country, thanks to mutual recognition agreements on standardization marks.
International standards and conformity assessment serve as passports to international markets for locally manufactured goods and services.
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