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 Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) develops standards for all sectors of the economy.  Regulatory bodies, such as Guyana’s Food and Drug Department and Environment Protection Agency, implement and enforce these standards.  The GNBS regulates some categories of goods through its Standards Compliance Program.

Standards

The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) serves as the lead agency for product certification.  Under the Standards Compliance Program launched in November 2005, Bureau of Standards officials, in addition to Customs officers, examine the quality of certain products at the port of entry.
Testing, inspection and certification

Conformity Assessment

The GNBS does not maintain any testing facilities.  Instead, it relies upon local bodies, such as the Institute of Applied Science and Technology, and on foreign bodies, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA), for its testing.
 

Product Certification

The GNBS provides third-party certification based on conformance to national standards.  Products certified by the GNBS are entitled to use the GNBS’ standards mark, which signals to local consumers that GNBS certification has been received.  Imported commodities should bear a national or international certification mark from a regulatory body in the country of origin or a “Certificate of Quality Compliance” from an independent certification body.
 

Accreditation

Presently, Guyana has one internationally accredited laboratory.

Publication of technical regulations

Guyana is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and is obligated under the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) to report all proposed technical regulations that could affect trade with other member countries.  Notify U.S., operated by the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute for Standards and Technology, is a free, web-based e-mail subscription service that offers an opportunity to review and comment on proposed foreign technical regulations that can affect your access to WTO member country markets.  Register online at: https://tsapps.nist.gov/notifyus/data/index/index.cfm 

(NIST)’s Notify U.S. Service: 
“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.” 

Contact Information
Guyana National Bureau of Standards
Flat 15, Sophia Exhibition Complex,
Sophia,
Greater Georgetown
Guyana
Tel: 592-219-0069
Fax: 592-219-0070

Raymond Slanina
Political and Economic Officer
Embassy of the United States of America
100 Duke and Young Streets, Kingston
Georgetown, Guyana
Phone: + (592) 225-4900-9 Ext. 4220 and Ext. 4213
Fax: + (592) 225-8597
Email: commercegeorgetown@state.gov
http://georgetown.usembassy.gov

Wynette Oudkerk
Economic and Commercial Specialist
Embassy of the United States of America
100 Duke and Young Streets, Kingston
Georgetown, Guyana
Phone: + (592) 225-4900-9 Ext. 4220 and Ext. 4213
Fax: + (592) 225-8597
Email: commercegeorgetown@state.gov
http://georgetown.usembassy.gov
 

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