FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2010-03-22

Agreement for Cooperation with China Renewed

Ottawa, Ontario (March 22, 2010) – The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) is pleased to announce that it has renewed its Agreement on Cooperation with the Standardization Administration of China (SAC).

"Our agreement to engage with China in dialogue on standards-related topics is intended to facilitate the development and use of standards by both our countries," said John Walter, SCC Executive Director. “As Canada’s national accreditation body, it is extremely important that SCC strive to ensure that standards serve as enablers of Canada’s trade objectives, while also protecting the health and safety of citizens.”

"We expect this agreement to strengthen our relationship with Canada and reinforce our original commitment to working together on areas of mutual benefit for our economies," noted Mr. JI Zhengkun, Administrator for the SAC.

Originally signed in July 2005, the agreement between SCC and SAC has helped to pave the way for collaboration in standardization between Canada and China. Over the years, SCC has supported China on committee work at the international level as well as provided technical assistance, training, and support for capacity-building building projects. This renewal provides formal recognition by both national bodies of their desire to continue to work toward mutually beneficial goals so as to ensure that the respective standards of each organization do not present any barriers to trade or potential harm to users.

The Standardization Administration of China represents China within the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and other international and regional standardization organizations. SAC approves and organizes the implementation of international cooperation and the exchange of projects on standardization. For additional information: http://www.sac.gov.cn/templet/english/.

The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) is a Crown Corporation and a portfolio of Industry Canada. With the goal of enhancing Canada's economic competitiveness and social well-being, SCC advises federal, provincial and territorial governments, industry organizations, and nongovernmental bodies on standards- and conformity assessment-related aspects of trade and regulatory policy. SCC also serves as Canada's World Trade Organization and North American Free Trade Agreement (WTO/NAFTA) Enquiry Point. SCC is Canada's representative at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and an active member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). For additional information on the work of the SCC visit www.scc.ca or email [email protected].

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