U.S., Japan sign agreement to facilitate trade in telecommunications equipment

The United States and Japan on Friday signed an agreement that will help U.S. telecommunications and radio equipment makers market and sell their products in Japan.

The agreement, called mutual recognition agreement (MRA), requires Japan to accept U.S. product testing and certification results that show U.S. equipment meets Japan's technical requirements, according to a press release issued by the office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

"Today's agreement provides an important new tool for U.S. companies to expand their exports of telecommunications equipment to Japan," said U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab.

In 2005, total U.S.-Japan trade in telecommunications equipment was approximately 2.6 billion U.S. dollars, and Japan was the United States' fourth largest export market for such products.

MRAs, such as this agreement in telecommunications area, are government-to-government agreements that require each party to accept the results of conformity assessment procedures conducted on equipment by approved conformity assessment bodies of the other party, if the results demonstrate compliance with the party's technical requirements.

This is the sixth telecommunications MRA covering certification that the United States has concluded, following those with European Union and EEA-EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway), and with Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore, according to the press release.

Source: Xinhua