CE Marking, Product Standards and World Trade

Book excerpt: CE Marking, the European system of mandatory product safety standards, has created major obstacles for US exporters to the European Union (EU). CE Marking, Product Standards and World Trade is one of the first books to analyze the nature and dynamics of this major non-tariff trade barrier. David Hanson looks at the patterns of EU decision-making through a functional comparative analysis with the US, and in the context of the institutional alliances and rivalries that shape outcomes. An increasingly important but little understood issue, CE Marking is also an example of a growing problem in international commerce - the impact of inconsistent domestic product requirements on international trade. The author examines the way in which the EU has implemented the CE Marking system, its impact on US exporters, the dynamic of US - EU trade and negotiations, and the political and administrative arrangements that support them. This comprehensive study will be of great interest to students and scholars of industrial economics and international business. Business people and policymakers will also find much of interest in this timely volume.