Comment Period on China’s ROHS Open for ANSI Members until Dec. 20

ANSI Manufacturer Member Round Table publishes reference translation

Published: Monday, December 6, 2010 - 14:47

(ANSI: New York) -- In line with the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), China has formally notified the WTO of proposed revisions to Chinese legislation guiding the use of toxic and hazardous materials in electronic and electrical products. A public comment period on the proposed measures is open until Dec. 20.

China’s notification in fulfillment of its WTO/TBT commitments is seen by many as a positive step toward increased transparency. As a service to full members of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the ANSI Manufacturer Member Round Table in China has published an English translation of the Chinese document, “Measures for the Administration of the Pollution Control of Electronic or Electrical Products.” The document is available for ANSI members as a pdf on the ANSI member library. (Note: The translation is not official and is intended for reference only.)

ANSI encourages interested U.S. stakeholders to submit comments regarding the proposed changes and their potential effect on U.S. companies. Comments should be submitted through Notify U.S., a site managed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to assist U.S. industry in voicing comments on proposed foreign technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures.

Since its formation in 2009, the ANSI Manufacturer Member Round Table in China has been actively engaged on the issue of China’s Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (ROHS). The topic has been a focal point of several round-table meetings, including a special session in August with officials from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the China Electronics Standardization Initiative (CESI). A related report is available to full ANSI members via the ANSI member library.

The round table provides a monthly forum for the China-based representatives of ANSI member companies to share information and experiences on standards and conformance issues. The meetings are open to any ANSI Full Company Members that manufacture physical products either made or sold in China. The round table provides a forum to discuss challenges and strategies and provide perspectives on issues unique to manufacture and distribution into, out of, and within China.

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The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) coordinates the U.S. voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system, serving the diverse interests of more than 270,000 companies and organizations and 30 million professionals worldwide. ANSI is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).