IHS White Paper: The Key to the Competitive Advantage - How Japanese Exports Leverage Foreign and International Standards

Japan’s superiority in foreign trade is marked by trendsetting measures noted by other industrialized nations. Rather than uphold domestic production standards, Japan is noted for the use of global production standards, presenting several benefits to include: lower engineering costs, better quality, and compatibility between systems and parts, as well as expanded market potential. The harmonization of standards, along with overseas investment, brought about a new era of international collaboration in manufactured goods. The use of international standards can facilitate co-production efforts, reduce costs and eliminate conflicting regulatory standards causing trade barriers.

Japan is a key member to several standards organizations to include: the World Trade Organization (WTO), and a valued participant in the International Standards Organization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). In recent years, ISO 9000 certification has eclipsed national regulations in significance, and has become a “brand” in itself, assuring that a foreign supplier delivers in the appropriate compatibility and quality.

This white paper outlines the current information and outlines benefits to Japanese exporters, whether from international standards development organizations (SDOs), European and US regulatory bodies, or from major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The electronics and automotive industries are focal points of this paper, as examples are provided in regard to informational resources available and how to easily access appropriate international standards for prospective products. The following are discussed:

• Standards resources for Japanese exports
• Electronics and electrical products
• Automotive products and components
• In-depth explanations of technology and rationale behind specifications

A table listing a sample of the most common electronics and electrical standards and regulations acquired from a third-party standards supplier, to include:

• NEMA C119.1
• API RP 500
• IEC 60529
• IEEE C63.4

Third-party standards suppliers can simplify the process of standards research, identification and procurement via the availability of up-to-date databases and powerful search and document management tools.

Related topics:

• Foreign compliance standards
• ISO 9000 certificate
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• Ford
• Mazda
• General Motors (GM)
• Isuzu
• Suzuki
• Chrysler
• Mitsubishi
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• European Committee for Standardization (CEN)
• European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC)
• European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)
• British Standards Institution (BSI)
• German Institute for Standardization (DIN)
• Association Francaise de Normalisation (AFNOR)
• GOST
• Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
• Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC)