A set of regionally agreed standards for 6 products—refined sugar, biscuit, Hessian products, cotton drill, cotton twill and jute twine—in South Asia has been finalized by the South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO), in response to the need to increase regional trade by harmonizing standards on key goods. The regional standards body also issued a general code of hygiene for South Asian products.

SARSO aims to complete issuing formal notifications on these 6 products by March. This will allow goods marked 'compliant' to SARSO's standard and testing regulations to be exported to any SAARC county without need for laboratory testing.

SARSO aims to finalize regional standards for another 5 products during 2016.

Non-recognition of standards is one of the main non-tariff barriers to trade among South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) members. In 2011, SAARC established SARSO to harmonize standards and boost conformity assessment in the region, to facilitate SAARC intra-regional trade and open access of SAARC products to the global market.

Related Links:

• SAARC countries fix standards on six products
• 6 key products standardised, easing regional trade