What is the WTO/TBT Enquiry Point?

Trinidad and Tobago as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has established a WTO/TBT (World Trade Organization / Technical Barriers to Trade) Enquiry Point to answer reasonable enquiries from other WTO members, the private sector, trade officials, standards officials, regulators and any other domestic and international stakeholders on any adopted or proposed technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment procedures related to products under the scope of the TBT Agreement (See Article 10).

Who is the WTO/TBT Enquiry Point for Trinidad and Tobago?

The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago designated the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS) as the National Enquiry Point in 1996 by Cabinet Minute No. 553.

How does the WTO/TBT Enquiry Point operate?

The WTO/TBT Enquiry Point disseminates through the WTO, notifications of proposed local mandatory measures (technical regulations, standards and/or conformity assessment procedures) that may have a significant effect on trade. WTO member countries are allowed sixty (60) days to comment on a proposed measure. All comments received through the Enquiry Point will be taken into consideration and a response will be sent to the WTO member making the comment or enquiry.

What We Do

• Forward comments received on domestic and foreign measures to the appropriate regulatory agency for consideration;
• Respond to technical enquiries on a variety of topics including: Trinidad and Tobago local standards and technical regulations, CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) standards, international standards and conformity assessment procedures and TBT and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures; and
• Access to standards and regulatory information via the TTBS Standards Information Centre.

Register for regular TBT updates with ePing

ePing is a free online web service, offered by the World Trade Organization (WTO) that provides private and public stakeholders with up to date information on regulations in export markets around the world, including product requirements and standards.

ePing’s email alert service allows registered users to receive SPS/TBT notifications of particular interest to them based on criteria such as products covered or export markets.

ePing aims to bridge that gap and provide timely information about changes in Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) requirements from trading partners to producers, exporters, governments and other interested users.

ePing is of potential interest to all types of stakeholders, including government agencies, standardizing bodies, producers, exporters, importers, service providers, small and medium-size enterprises, multinationals, international organizations, research institutes, NGOs etc.

To sign-up for ePing go to www.epingalert.org
If you have any questions about ePing Alert please email us at enquiry.point@ttbs.org.tt

How to Submit Comments

Comments can be emailed, faxed, or mailed to the contact information below:

Enquiry Point
Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards
1-2 Century Drive
Trincity Industrial Estate
Macoya, Tunapuna
Trinidad and Tobago
Tel: (868) 662-8827 ext 2531
Fax: (868) 663-4335

Email: enquiry.point@ttbs.org.tt or ttbs@ttbs.org.tt

 

Additional Resources

• Export Notification – ePing
• Standards For Public Comment
• Standards Work Programme
• National Standards Database
• List of Compulsory Trinidad and Tobago Standards
• Standards Information Centre
• WTO Agreement Series — Technical Barriers to Trade
• TBT Agreement
• Reducing Trade Friction from Standards and Regulations

Implementation and Administration of the WTO Agreement on the Technical Barriers to Trade