Standards and global trade : a voice for Africa / [editors, John S. Wilson and Victor O. Abiola].

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Improving market access through standards compliance: a diagnostic and road map for Kenya -- Bridging the standards divide: a case study and action plan for Mozambique -- Standards, technical regulations, and product quality: institutional evidence from Nigeria -- Standards and trade in South Africa: paving pathways for increased market access and competitiveness -- Enhancing Uganda's access to international markets: a focus on quality.

Annotation For information on World Bank Publications Geographic Discounts, click on <href= https://publications.worldbank.org/discounts target=_blank>Geographic Discounts . In expanding trade, the link between standards, access to foreign markets, and development is at the forefront of policy debate. This is particularly true for African countries, which face critical challenges in improving domestic capacity to meet production and quality standards required in foreign markets. In case studies of five African countries -Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda - Standards and Global Trade demonstrates the importance of addressing the impact of product standards both as barriers to trade and as opportunities to expand market access. This book provides a comprehensive and in-depth case-by-case assessment of the current and anticipated use of international standards and capacity for compliance. Each chapter details the economic context in which standards apply to each country and examines the mechanisms with which the country and its representatives have participated in the process of setting/revising standards and technical regulations at the local and international level. The analysis includes a review of existing laws and regulations and the extent to which they are consistent with current international norms. Standards and Global Trade examines each country 's physical infrastructure and organizational capacities to design and implement standards and technical regulations. The authors also discuss and analyze the implementation processes and some estimated impact of various standards, technical regulations, and related production/marketing practices in about five specific industry segments in each country. The volume suggests concrete action plans on how African firms and farmers can be supported to improve product quality and reach to international markets in key commodity sectors.

Annotation In case studies--of Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda--the authors demonstrate the importance of addressing the effect of product standards both as barriers to trade and as opportunities to expand market access.