Introducing the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) National Enquiry Point (NEP)

The BSJ is here to help you to understand and use standards. As a facilitator for trade and development, we are committed to assess and identify the gaps in your operations, in order to recommend standards, training solutions, testing services and other programmes.

Our aim is to help you to promote your products, practices or processes confidently to your customers and the world. This is where the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) National Enquiry Point (NEP), which is administered by the BSJ, comes in.

• Have you ever wanted to sell products to other countries, but the regulations, standards, and certification procedures of the importing country are not clear?

• Have you sought to comply with the product verification requirements of the importing country, but the application procedure is complicated and the required data is excessive?

• Have you received new orders for your products from all over the world, but there are too many new requirements from these countries?

If you have been affected by any of the above situations, you are not alone! The above situations are commonly referred to as “technical barriers to trade or technical trade barriers, abbreviated TBT".

What are Technical Barriers to Trade (TBTs)?

Technical barriers to trade are non-tariff barriers to trade, which may be safety regulations, inspection standards, test methods, food factory quality systems and certifications. With the decline of the average international tariff, problems encountered by cross-border trade in goods have gradually shifted to non-tariff areas, including the TBTs mentioned above.

TBTs can be very complex and sometimes unavoidable causing too much infraction on trade. But more and more it is a strategy for countries to fulfil their legitimate objectives concerning safety, health and environmental protection.

What is a TBT National Enquiry Point (NEP)?

The World Trade Organization (WTO) member countries that are signatories to the TBT Agreement have an obligation to establish an enquiry point - a single window to facilitate the receiving and answering of enquires and comments from other WTO members, governments and stakeholders.

The enquiry point is the contact at the BSJ that will notify you about the standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures in other countries that could hamper the export of your products.

When you encounter TBT issues, we can investigate your concerns by contacting the WTO member in question. Additionally, if you have comments on a technical regulation issued by another country, we can submit your comments on behalf of Jamaica. This can prevent the technical regulations from being published or postpone their entry into force.

The BSJ is here to help you make the necessary adjustments to sell brand Jamaica by making market access information available. The Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) National Enquiry Point helps SMEs connect and compete with the world.

Want to know more? Contact the enquiry point today!