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Costa Rica Modernizes Conformity Evaluation Framework: Notifies WTO

2024-12-12 Reference source : WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade

Conformity assessment Latin America


The President of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves Robles, and the Minister of Economy, Industry, and Commerce (MEIC), Francisco Gamboa Soto, have issued a new Executive Decree that establishes a modernized framework for product conformity evaluation. This framework introduces the Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) as an efficient and cost-effective mechanism to ensure compliance with technical regulations, in accordance with international standards.

In line with Costa Rica’s commitment to transparency in international trade, the Decree was formally notified to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the 3rd of December 2024, under the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade. The purpose of this notification is to inform trading partners of the new regulation and to promote dialogue within the global trading system.

 

Key Features of the Decree

1. Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC): The SDoC allows manufacturers, producers, and suppliers to declare under oath that their products comply with applicable technical regulations. This self-declaration approach reduces administrative costs, enhances traceability, and applies primarily to low-risk products or those manufactured at the customer’s request.

2. Alignment with International Standards: The regulation is based on principles outlined in the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, as well as standards such as ISO/IEC 17050 and OECD guidelines. This ensures that the framework is proportional, non-discriminatory, and consistent with Costa Rica’s international commitments.

3. Market Surveillance:  The decree empowers authorities to conduct random market inspections and ensure compliance with technical regulations. Cases of non-compliance will be sanctioned by the National Consumer Commission (CNC), in accordance with Law No. 7472.

 

Commitment to Transparency and Global Trade Facilitation

The notification to the WTO underscores Costa Rica’s dedication to meeting international trade obligations and maintaining an open, transparent regulatory environment. This step also promotes cooperation with trading partners and ensures that the decree is in line with global best practices. For more details, the Supreme Decree is available in Spanish here



We acknowledge that the above information has been compiled from WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade.

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