Free Trade Area of the Americas - FTAA

 
Ministerial
Declarations
Trade Negotiations
Committee
Negotiating
Groups
Special
Committees
Business
Facilitation
Civil
Society
Trade&Tariff
Database
Hemispheric
Cooperation
Program

Home Countries Sitemap A-Z list Governmental Contact Points

 
 

Inventory of National Practices on Standards, Technical Regulations
and Conformity Assessment in the Western Hemisphere


V. Measurement and Metrology
B. Arrangements with Other Organizations

Antigua & Barbuda

Argentina
Argentina participates in hemispheric cooperation through the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM). In addition, it has cooperation agreements with the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) of Germany.

Bahamas

Barbados

Belize
The BBS has requested participation in the Inter-American Metrology System to develop an effective national metrology system.

Bolivia
SIM - ANDIMET CAN (Andean Standardization Committee), Decision 376 of the Cartagena Agreement

Brazil
It has been INMETRO policy to strengthen its participation in international fora and increase its cooperation with a number of foreign national laboratories as well as the BIPM and OIML.
INMETRO's strongest cooperation program is with the Physikalish-Technische Bundesanstalt - PTB from Germany. A cooperation agreement is being discussed with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the U.S. Other specific cooperation programs are being set up with the Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers - CNAM, in France, the Galileo Ferraris Institute, in Italy, the CSTRO Dvision of Applied Physics (Australian Primary Laboratory) and the Laboratoire Primaire des Rayonnementes Ionisants (LPRI), in France.
The Interamerican Metrology System (SIM) will enable Hemispheric cooperation among 25 countries. The SURAMET is the sub-group of SIM, which will enable sub-regional collaboration in National Measurements Standards and Services among the five national laboratories from MERCOSUR plus Chile.
Memorandums of understanding for mutual recognition of certification activities: UL/USA; DQS/Germany; SQS/Switzerland; SABS/South Africa; IRAM/Argentina; IMQ/Italy.

Canada
Canada has a long history of measurement, inter-country comparisons, staff exchanges, and research activities with a number of national laboratories as well as the BIPM. Formal bilateral Recognitions of Equivalence have been signed between NRC and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (USA), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organizations (Australia), and the National Physical Laboratory (UK) relating to the equivalence of the national measurement standards of Canada and the USA, Australia, and the UK.

The Inter-American Metrology System (SIM) will enable hemispheric cooperation among 25 countries. North American participation in the SIM takes place through NORAMET. The NORAMET Memorandum of Understanding enables regional collaboration in national measurement standards and services among the three North American national laboratories.

The North American Calibration Cooperation (NACC) Memorandum of Understanding provides the framework to establish mutual confidence and compatibility in the accreditation of calibration laboratories in the three member countries.

Chile
Chile is a member of the BIPM (International Bureau of Weights and Measures).

Colombia
Colombia, through its different organizations such as the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce, participates in the exchange of metrological development with national and international agencies and in the comparison of the standards of measurements.

Colombia participates in hemispheric cooperation in:
- the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML),
- the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM),
- cooperation agreement with the PTB (Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt) of Germany,
- International Organization for Standardization (ISO),
- COPANT (Pan American Commission on Technical Standards),
- Andean Metrology Network (Decision 376 of the Cartagena Agreement).

Costa Rica

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador
The INEN has the following agreements with the following organizations:
- NIST, National Institute of Standards and Technology, of the United States,
- PTB, Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt, of Germany,
- SIM, Inter-American Metrology System,
- OIML, International Organization of Legal Metrology,
- ISO, International Organization for Standardization,
- COPANT, Pan American Commission on Technical Standards.

Ecuador sits on the Subregional Committee for Standardization, Accreditation, Testing, Certification, Technical Regulations and Metrology set up under Decision 376 of the Cartagena Agreement. The document of Decision 376 was presented at the meeting of the Working group on technical obstacles.

El Salvador
El Salvador uses the laboratory of the ICAITI, of which it is an active member, for traceability of measurements with respect to the standards at the legal metrology laboratory.
CONACYT is the contact point with the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM).

Grenada

Guatemala
Guatemala, as an active member of the ICAITI, has access to and abides by the regulations of the Metrology Laboratory set up under that agreement, which was created as a reference laboratory for the countries of Central America in the field of industrial and scientific metrology.
In addition, the Metrology Department of the Guatemalan Standards Commission is a member of the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM) in the region of CAMET; the contact point is the Metrology Department of the Guatemalan Standards Commission (COGUANOR).

Guyana

Haiti

Honduras

Jamaica
Agreement with the Physikalisch - Technische Bundesantalt (PTB) National Physical and Testing Lab - Germany- To establish metrology facilities at the JBS.

Mexico
SIM - Inter-American Metrology System; Mexico is currently the president of this organization
Technical and Scientific Cooperation Agreement between Mexico (SECOFI-CONACYT-CENAM) and the United States (NIST)
NACC - North American Calibration Cooperation. Memorandum of Understanding between Mexico, United States and Canada on accreditation systems for calibration laboratories. (Mexico: SECOFI,DGN; United States:NIST; Canada:SCC)
NORAMET - North American Metrology System. Memorandum of Understanding for the development of metrology and the supply of measurement services, between Mexico's national metrology laboratories (CENAM), the United States (NIST) and Canada (NRC)

Panama
SIM - Inter-American Metrology System (DGNTI/MICI)
OIML - International Organization of Legal Metrology
PTB - Institute of Physics and Legal Metrology of Germany
DAAD - German University Exchange Service (academic)
INTI - Institute of Industrial Technology of Argentina (horizontal cooperation)
SECOFI - Agreement with Mexico, Integrated System of Standardization, Quality Certification, and Metrology

Paraguay

Peru
The SNM receives cooperation from important organizations in the field of metrology worldwide: the Physikalish-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) of Germany, the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), the National Testing Laboratory of France, the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM), the National Institute of Industrial Technology (Argentina), and the National Institute of Metrology, Standardization, and Industrial Quality (INMETRO) of Brazil, among others.

Saint Lucia

Trinidad & Tobago
TTBS is a member of CARIMET under which there is an agreement for regional collaboration on national measurement standards and services among the CARICOM countries.

United States
DOC/NIST has a number of bilateral memoranda of understanding (MOU), implementing agreements and projects in the area of metrology. Some of these cover scientific and technical cooperation broadly, which may include measurement and metrology (and/or other aspects of standardization). A sample of such agreements with countries of the Western Hemisphere is as follows:
- Mexico (CONACYT, SECOFI and CENAM),
- MOU concerning technical cooperation in chemistry, physics and engineering measurement services,
- Venezuela (Ministry of Development and National Council for Scientific and Technological Research,
- MOI concerning cooperation in chemistry, physics and engineering measurement sciences.

Uruguay
LATU has agreements in place with NIST, PTB, and INMETRO, and is a member of the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM).

Venezuela
Technical Cooperation Agreement with the PTB (Physikalish Technische Bundesanstalt)
Technical Cooperation Agreement with INIMET (Institute of Metrological Research of Cuba), commencing a program to verify medical instruments used in clinics and hospitals
Agreement with National Center of Metrology, of Mexico
Technical cooperation agreement with the Institute of Industrial Technology of Argentina, the leading metrology organization in Argentina
Technical cooperation with the Metrology Center of Colombia, under the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce

Andean Group/Cartagena Agreement, Decision 376
Group of Three (G-3) (Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela)
Agreement with United States of America (NIST - National Institute of Standards and Technology)
Technical Cooperation Agreement with Center of Metrology of Spain

The Inter-American Metrology System (SIM) will enable hemispheric cooperation among 25 countries. Venezuela's participation in the SIM takes place through ANDIMET.

 
countries sitemap a-z list governmental contact points