Regulatory Compliance

For a complete list of the ITI committees focused on trade, technical standards and regulatory compliance, please click here.

Navigating the landscape and overcoming market barriers in a complex world

Worldwide, the information technology (IT) industry has a proven track record of providing safe, high quality, state-of-the-art products. Over the past several decades, the industry has worked closely with government groups and formal standards setting bodies to develop internationally recognized standards that have been adopted by most governments that regulate for IT. By reducing non-tariff, technical barriers, this global alignment has greatly facilitated international trade.

In recent years, however, the proliferation of unique regulatory requirements has begun to diminish the benefits of these shared standards. Exacerbated by current economic conditions, the regulatory landscape for IT products is becoming increasingly more complicated and unnecessarily costly. Manufacturers are often required to put their products through repetitive tests and certification processes that often provide no additional benefit to customers or to societies. This drives up consumer costs, limits product choices, and delays products' introduction and time to market. Given the rapid evolution cycle of IT equipment, this is a significant impact that affects the ability of countries to compete in the global economy.

Working with the international standards development community and with regulators directly, ITI helps its members to navigate the growing patchwork of rules and regulations that threaten to fragment global markets. We advocate for technical standards and regulatory policies that allow governments to meet their regulatory objectives, while minimizing the impact on trade. ITI's work on these issues helps to open innovation and competition among businesses and ensure that the benefits of IT reach global consumers in the most efficient way.