Author (s):
Ed Nemeroff and Dan RathbunDate:
May 2009Publication):
N/AAbstract:
Metrology, standards and conformity assessment (MAS-Q) are increasingly recognized as essential tools for promoting economic growth, especially in developing countries. Accurate measurements, documentary standards and conformity assessment have become prerequisites for expanding international trade. MAS-Q activities are important to ensure that market transactions can take place and consumers and regulators feel confident that the goods being produced imported and exported are safe and are of the quality and quantity that they expect.When Vietnam became a member of the World Trade Organization in 2007, the need to adopt and implement internationally recognized and accepted metrology, accreditation, standardization and quality (MAS-Q) practices became critically important. USAID, through its STAR Vietnam Project, has working closely with the Vietnamese Directorate for Standards and Quality (STAMEQ) to ensure that Vietnam has a MAS-Q system that meets their WTO requirements while opening new trading opportunities and ensuring consumers are protected. This paper describes the assistance program, the advances in metrology, standards and conformity assessment that the Vietnamese have made and the impact of these efforts on the country’s economic growth.
