As signatory to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreements since 1995, Namibia is a member of the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (WTO/TBT).
The WTO/TBT Agreement recognizes the contribution that international standardisation can make to the transfer of technology from developed to developing and least developed countries, and the role of international standards and conformity assessment procedures in improving the efficiency of production and in facilitating international trade.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry is responsible for implementation of the WTO Agreements, and has the overall responsibility of ensuring that the obligations under the Agreements are fulfilled. According to the requirements of the Agreement the Government of the Republic of Namibia, through the Ministry of Trade and Industry, has designated the Namibian Standards Institution (NSI) as the Namibian Enquiry and Notification Point for all WTO/TBT notification and enquiry responsibilities.
To meet the these obligations the NSI has established the Namibia WTO/TBT Enquiry and Notification Point to handle all reasonable enquiries as well as provide notification on relevant documents regarding any technical regulations proposed and adopted; and any standards or conformity assessment procedures adopted and proposed.
This webpage serve as the Centre of the implementation of all notification and enquiry requirements.
Functions
Issuing Notifications
The Namibia WTO/TBT Enquiry and Notification Point issues notifications to the WTO Secretariat concerning:
Impending acts and bills of parliament, government regulations, standards and conformity assessment measures that might have a significant effect of trade of other WTO Member countries.
Handling Inbound Enquiries
Handles all reasonable enquiries from other WTO Members within the scope of the WTO/TBT Agreement.
Handling Outbound Enquiries
Facilitates the process of Namibian industry and goverment enquiring about other WTO Members's regulations and mandetory standards.
Dissemination of foreign notifications and to industry and other stakeholders
Through its webpage and bi-monthly notifications update bulletins, the Namibia WTO/TBT Enquiry and Notification Point disseminates foreign notifications to industry and other stakeholders.
Handling comments on foreign notifications
The WTO/TBT Agreement provides for interested parties in Member countries to comment, enquirer, and request for documents associated with notifications by other WTO Member countries. Find out more.
The Namibia WTO/TBT Enquiry and Notification Point webpage carries a number of publications:
Work Programme-Six month programme outlining standards projects
Bi-Monthly Notifications Update Bulletins
News Update