USTR, ministry mutually recognize telecoms equipment testing

The US Trade Representative (USTR) and Mexico's economy ministry on Thursday (May 26) signed an agreement that should significantly improve the competitiveness of US telecommunications equipment in the Mexican market, the USTR said in a statement. Under the mutual recognition agreement, Mexican regulatory authorities will no longer require that US products be tested in Mexico to demonstrate they meet Mexican standards/technical requirements, therefore accepting tests performed by US laboratories. The same applies for Mexican products entering the US. In a blog post, Stephen Jacobs, senior director of international business policy with the US National Association of Manufacturers, welcomed the agreement, saying that bilateral trade in these products totals about US$25bn. "Not having to ship products to a Mexican facility and pay for testing should reduce costs for US telecommunications equipment manufacturers. It should be of particular value to smaller manufacturers for whom redundant testing can be a significant cost hurdle. It should also speed product entry as US equipment can be tested in one facility at the same time, to both US and Mexican standards," Jacobs said. This is the first such agreement between the US and a Latin American country.