Publisher's Synopsis
Product standards and technical regulations are critical to industrial performance and global trade and represent an important new area for international debate. The elimination of overlapping and conflicting regulations could significantly reduce costs for business and consumers alike, and international efforts to harmonize national regulatory systems could prove to be one of the most important parts of multilateral and regional trade talks into the 21st century.;This study examines these issues in the context of the APEC forum. It analyzes multilateral efforts to reduce technical barriers to trade through GATT and critically examines standards policy reforms through APEC.
