Describes the country's standards landscape, identifies the national standards and accreditation bodies, and lists the main national testing organization(s) and conformity assessment bodies.
Last Published: 7/21/2019

Overview

The Technical Barriers to Trade Chapter of CAFTA-DR requires that Nicaragua build on the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade to promote transparency, accountability, and cooperation on standards and regulatory issues.

Standards

The Technical Standards and Quality Law (1996/219) establishes a National Standards and Quality Commission, including public and private sector members, to develop standards and regulations.  The Ministry of Development, Industry and Trade, through the Interior Commerce General, serves as secretariat for the commission.  The Normalization and Metrology Department is in charge of managing and supervising the work of standardization and regulation at the national level.

Conformity Assessment
The Technical Barriers to Trade Chapter of CAFTA-DR requires that Nicaragua recognize conformity assessment bodies located in the United States on terms equivalent to those located in Nicaragua.  The accredited Conformity Assessment System is made up of 16 test laboratories, 2 calibration laboratories, and 3 inspection bodies.

Accreditation
The Technical Standards and Quality Law (1996/219) establishes the Ministry of Development, Industry and Trade, National Accreditation Office, as the government entity responsible for accrediting standards certifying organizations.  Currently ONA is a signatory of multilateral recognition agreements with the Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC) and with the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) for the testing laboratory scheme and Inspection Bodies.

The Ministry of Development, Industry and Trade, and the Standards and Metrology Office, publishes Obligatory Nicaraguan Technical Standards as well as Standards Subject to Public Consultation.

Contact Information

The Ministry of Development, Industry and Trade, National Accreditation Office employs the following contacts:

Standards and Metrology Office
Telephone: 505-2248-9300 Ext. 1310/1311
Email: dsaavedra@mific.gob.ni; or normalizacion@mific.gob.ni

CODEX Alimentarius Point of Contact
Telephone: 505-2248-9300 Ext. 1314
Email: codex@mific.gob.ni   or normalizacion@mific.gob.ni

Information Center on Technical Barriers to Trade
Telephone: 2248-9300 Ext. 1314
Email: imartinez@mific.gob.ni; notificacion@mific.gob.ni; normalizacion@mific.gob.ni

National Accreditation Office
Telephone: 505-2248-9300 Ext. 1325
Email: agutierrez@mific.gob.ni

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration employs a regional expert in standards, based in Mexico City:
Commercial Officer/Standards Attaché
Office of Standards Liaison for Canada, the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico
Telephone: +52-55-5140-2603
 

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