KATS "Resolved 5 EU, Saudi, UAE, Ecuador Electronic and Electrical Export Regulations"

Results of Attendance at the '2020 1st WTO TBT Committee' from February 25 to 27

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The National Institute of Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 1st that it has resolved five electronic and electrical export regulations from the European Union (EU), Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Ecuador.

The institute stated that it attended the '2020 1st World Trade Organization (WTO) Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee' held in Geneva, Switzerland from the 25th to the 27th of last month, where it discussed related overseas technical regulations.

TBT (Technical Barriers to Trade) refers to trade obstacles that hinder the free movement of goods by applying different technical regulations, standards, and testing certification procedures between countries.

The institute reported that during the meeting, it held bilateral consultations with regulatory authorities from eight countries regarding 33 overseas technical regulations related to energy efficiency, safety certification, and more.

Among these, 10 cases were raised as Specific Trade Concerns (STC) at regular meetings involving all member countries, in cooperation with major countries such as the United States and Europe.

STC (Specific Trade Concerns) refers to agenda items officially raised by each member country at the WTO TBT Committee concerning trade barriers that have significant impact, require urgent resolution, or need international cooperation.

The institute announced that as a result of the meeting, the Korean delegation achieved outcomes such as regulatory improvements or implementation deferrals for five cases across four countries including the EU, Middle East, and Latin America.

First, Europe clearly stated that smartphones and tablets will be excluded from the scope of the newly established and strengthened display energy performance (ecodesign) regulations starting next year.

The institute explained that due to the regulation, the large-screen smartphone industry with screens over 100㎠ was at risk of suffering significant export damage.

Middle Eastern countries agreed to reflect Korea’s position regarding energy efficiency regulations.

Saudi Arabia plans to incorporate Korea’s requests concerning heat pump-type clothes dryers. Korea will separately establish a 'power consumption tolerance standard conforming to international standards' and complete the revision work within this year.

Accordingly, Korean companies are expected to maintain and expand their presence in the Saudi market without changing the performance of heat pump-type clothes dryers.

The UAE changed the energy efficiency label regulations for washing machines and dishwashers, granting only a three-month implementation period, which was shorter than the usual six-month grace period. Companies faced difficulties due to production and transportation times.

At this meeting, the UAE accepted Korea’s request and extended the transition period by three months.

Ecuador decided to reconsider the energy efficiency regulations for dryers, which are scheduled to be introduced soon, taking into account Korea’s requests.

Ecuador separately introduced sales allowance grades not found in international standards and limited the allowable grade range to only A and B grades. This restriction was challenging even for Korean companies with world-class energy efficiency.

The institute had requested the withdrawal of the regulation through direct negotiations with regulatory authorities at the end of last year, and Ecuador officially responded that it is reviewing Korea’s request.

The institute stated that it will continue to respond in cooperation with related companies and associations until the relevant regulations are withdrawn.

The government plans to hold meetings this month with export companies, industry associations, and specialized organizations to share the outcomes of the meeting and find future response measures.

To resolve unresolved issues, continuous consultations will be held not only with the WTO/FTA TBT Committee but also with foreign regulatory authorities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.