The Manufactured Goods and Sectoral and Regional Competitiveness Working Group

Much of the work of the Manufactured Goods and Sectoral and Regional Competitiveness Working Group focuses on regulatory compatibility issues and regulatory cooperation. Regulatory compatibility issues often revolve around differences that are very specific and affect trade. These may include distinctions in the labels of products that are essentially the same; outdated technical requirements that make companies maintain two production lines; and the need for identical products to undergo testing and certification in all three North American markets.  The Regulatory Cooperation Framework, which is being negotiated under this Working Group, is a key mechanism that will assist in these areas, while maintaining the highest levels of protection of health, safety and the environment.

Regulatory cooperation includes long-term collaboration between the countries to identify ways in which expertise in each can be shared. Faced with an increasingly complex web of technologies and new products, governments need to jointly address health and safety issues. Consumers gain when information and science-based evidence is shared.

Among its many efforts, the Manufactured Goods and Sectoral and Regional Competitiveness Working Group aims to:

• Maintain health, safety and environmental protection.
• Lower costs for North American businesses, producers and consumers.
• Maximize trade in goods and services across our borders, by striving to ensure the compatibility of regulations and standards and by eliminating redundant testing and certification requirements.
• Strengthen regulatory cooperation, including at the onset of the regulatory process, to minimize barriers.
• Explore new approaches to enhance the competitiveness of North American industries, by promoting greater cooperation in the automotive, steel and other sectors identified through consultations.