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.

Overview 

The Belize Bureau of Standards (http://www.bbs.gov.bz) is mandated to establish and monitor standards requirements for labeling, packaging, metrology, and consumer protection.  All locally manufactured goods and imported goods must adhere to some minimum standards for products to be legally traded and sold on the Belize market.  A catalogue of Standards currently administered by the Belize Bureau of Standards is also available on their website.    

Belize is a member of the CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), Codex Alimentarius Commission, the International Standards Organization (ISO), the Pan American Standards Commission (COPANT), and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The BBS also participates in the International Electrotechnical Commission Affiliate Programme, and as a member of CARICOM, in the Inter-American Metrology System.
 

Standards

The Belize Bureau of Standards is the only organization that develops and implements standards in Belize. It develops unique standards and implements regional and multilateral standards.
 

Testing, Inspection and Certification

The Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) is responsible for food safety, quarantine services, and plant and animal health inspections to facilitate trade and commerce. It assesses, monitors, and manages the issuance and approvals of import permits for phyto-sanitary and zoo-sanitary certificates. These permits are issued when importers and exporters seek to trade meats, animals (including livestock), plants, seeds, and seedlings of plants.

BAHA also assists with the establishment and implementation of certification programs, including: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Standard Sanitary Operating Procedures (SSOP), and conducts Risk Analysis and Inspection for food safety purposes.  For more information on certifications and programs, visit http://baha.org.bz/.

There are no accredited testing laboratories in Belize. However, BAHA and the Citrus Research and Education Institute (CREI), a private laboratory facility, are both seeking international accreditation.

The BBS is certified in ISO 9001:2008 for organizational quality management systems and is now pursuing accreditation in ISO/IEC 17025:2005 for testing and calibration as it seeks to provide internationally recognized calibration and testing services.
 

Publication of Technical Regulations

The Belize Bureau of Standards publishes notifications on new requirements for product standards in the Belize Gazette, allowing the general public to submit comments on the proposed changes in a timely manner.

Additionally, member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are required under the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) to report to the WTO all proposed technical regulations that could affect trade with other Member countries. 
 

Contact Information

Director, Belize Bureau of Standards, Ministry of Works Compound, Power Lane, Belmopan City, Belize, Tel: 011-501-822-0446, Fax: 011-501-822-2571, E-mail: bbs@btl.net, Website: www.bbs.gov.bz.

Managing Director, Belize Agricultural Health Authority, Corner of Hummingbird Highway and Forest Drive, Belmopan City, Cayo District, Belize. Tel: 011-501-822-0197 or 011-501-822-0271. E-mail: baha@btl.net & bahasps@btl.net, Website: http://baha.org.bz

Political/Economic Officer, Political/Economic Section, U.S. Embassy – Floral Park Road, Belmopan City, Belize, Tel: 011-501-822-4011, Fax: 011-501-822-4012, E-mail: BelmopanCommercialInquiries@state.gov, Website: https://bz.usembassy.gov

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 or countries 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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