Venezuela - Standards for Trade Venezuela - Trade Standards
Overview
Venezuela’s standards regime historically consisted of the non-profit foundation Fondonorma and SENCAMER. The relationship between the two bodies has deteriorated in the past few years, which has led to confusion and a lack of a normative standards regime. Currently, the Ministry of Economy and Finance is the governing body for quality control. The Ministry exercises supervision and control of the rules of the Venezuelan Commission of Industrial Standards (COVENIN) through SENCAMER. SENCAMER is responsible for the accreditation, inspection and testing of laboratories. SENCAMER also owns and operates Venezuela’s metrology laboratory, which is charged with certifying the equipment and activities used for the measuring of masses, weights, dimensions, temperatures, pressure, torsion forces, electricity, and physical-chemical apparatuses. Fondonorma, Bureau Veritas, the American Quality Standards Registrar and the Integral Technology Security Foundation are organizations accredited by SENCAMER in Venezuela to certify products and quality systems.
Trade and industry associations, large private companies, businesses, and a few governmental organizations, mainly ministries, are among the board members running Fondonorma. Fondonorma is Venezuela’s member body to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and is accredited to ISO to certify local companies to specific ISO standards and award ISO certificates. It is also a member of the Pan-American Standards Commission and of the International Certification Network (IQNet).
Fondonorma, through individual industry committees, develops new standards as needs are perceived. Its primary objective is quality assurance of both locally made and imported products. In addition to its role in certification to ISO standards and the development of COVENIN standards, Fondonorma also issues a NORVEN quality seal to local manufacturers for specific products and for services. Fondonorma does not have an annual plan for developing and issuing new standards and instead responds to specific needs or pressures from the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (GBRV).
NIST Notify U.S. Service
Venezuela, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is required under the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) to notify to the WTO all proposed technical regulations that could affect trade with other Member countries. To track Venezuela’s notifications, you can sign up for Notify U.S., which is a free, web-based e-mail subscription service managed by Commerce’s National Institute for Standards and Technology that offers an opportunity to review and comment on proposed foreign technical regulations that can affect your access to international markets. Register online at NotifyUS.
Testing, inspection and certification
Conformity Assessment
Fondonorma issues conformity assessments for quality assurance and adherence to existing standards from ISO and SENCAMER. Fondonorma also issues conformity assessments, if required, for local products being exported to verify adherence to standards referenced in foreign regulations or the IQNet 9004. Fondonorma is also the channel for obtaining conformity-testing certificates.
In other instances, SENCAMER issues the conformity statement, often after testing in its own metrology lab or in other private and government testing laboratories, such as the National Hygiene Institute the Ministry of Health (MINSALUD).
Product Certification
Apart from the product registrations, most products are not required to be certified in Venezuela. Certain products, such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, are subject to a certification and/or a registration process. In those cases, the applicant might be required to submit samples for laboratory testing and certification of their safety. ISO, NORVEN, or IQNet certification is frequently helpful in gaining acceptance that a product or service adheres to existing standards.
Accreditation
Testing laboratories for official product testing must be accredited by FONDONORMA or SENCAMER.
Publication of technical regulations
Venezuela’s new laws, resolutions, decrees, government appointments, and other official data are published in the Official Gazette. The Gazette does not publish anything similar to notices of proposed rulemaking, so there is no regular official mechanism for inviting comment on proposed changes to technical regulations . The Gazette also does not publish new technical regulations. The full contents of a new technical regulation must be obtained directly from the government agency that created it. The same holds true for new standards themselves, available only by request from either the FONDONORMA or SENCAMER.
Contact Information
Venezuela’s Ministry of Foreign Commerce and Investment - MIPPCOEXIN
Minister: Jose Gregorio Vielma Mora
Address:Avenida Urdaneta, Torre Central, Piso 9, Municipio Libertador, Caracas, Venezuela.
Ph: +58 212-7818228, +58 0212-7096011
Ministry of Popular Power for Health
Minister: Dr. Carlos Alvarado (As of June018)
Address: Centro Simon, Edif. Sur, Piso 9, El Centro, Caracas.
Ph: +58 212 408 03 45 Fax: +58 212 408 25 60
Publication of technical regulations
Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are required under the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) to notify to the WTO proposed technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures that could affect trade. Notify U.S. www.nist.gov/notifyus) is a free, web-based e-mail registration service that captures and makes available for review and comment key information on draft regulations and conformity assessment procedures. Users receive customized e-mail alerts when new notifications are added by selected country(ies) and industry sector(s) of interest, and can also request full texts of regulations. This service and its associated web site are managed and operated by the USA WTO TBT Inquiry Point housed within the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
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