United Nations Standard International Trade

Trade statistics for the United States are compiled by the Department of Commerce, which uses the United Nations Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) (4). (Note There have been changes in the code, with the result that data after 1994 are not comparable with those of previous years.) The following list of SITC classes gives the principal products in each category ... 

United Nations Standard International Trade Classification, United Nations, New York, 1997. 

It is therefore apparent that, because of its diversity of operations and close links in many areas with other industries, there is no simple definition of the chemical industry. Instead each official body which collects and publishes statistics on manufacturing industry will have its definition as to which operations are classified as the chemical industry . It is important to bear this in mind when comparing statistical information which is derived from several sources. Perhaps the best known international definition for chemicals is that contained in Section 5 of the United Nations Standard International Trade Classification. Individual countries definitions will differ from this to varying degrees, as will the companies trade organizations—such as the Chemical Industries Association (CIA) in the U.K.—in each country. 

In one sense, the gold standard already was a moral notion for economists. It was the prime manifestation of what Nicholas Mayhew has called a moral idea of money (2000, xi)—the idea that a gold-backed currency is a constant and unchanging currency unit with which to measure personal or public obligations (xi). The gold standard was meant to ensure stability in both the domestic economy and international trade, and it was almost an article of faith for most economists. As Mayhew notes, So irrevocable did it all seem that when the [British] National government of 1931 did eventually devalue and abandon gold, its Labour Cabinet predecessors complained that no one had told them you could do that (214-15). 

People s Republic of China is not a major trading nation by international standards. The total trade of the United States is about 15 times that of China, and it was only in 1973 that the level of the mainland part of China s foreign trade surpassed that of Taiwan. Also, China s total international trade is a relatively low percentage of its gross national product—about six percent. Yet this is not surprising for a major country that has a massive population, a large domestic market and low per capita income. 

Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) sets standards for food safety and inspects meat, poultry, and egg products produced domestically and imported. The Service inspects animals and birds at slaughter and processed products at various stages of the production process, and analyzes products for microbiological and chemical adulterants. FSIS also informs the public about meat, poultry, and egg product food safety issues. FSIS works with the Research, Education and Economics mission area on food safety research issues and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on instances where animal diseases impact food safety. FSIS also facilitates the management of US activities pertaining to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, an international organization created by the United Nations, to promote the health and economic interests of consumers while encouraging fair international trade in food. 

The global nature of the food supply and world food trade have made food quality and food safety international issues. Hence, since its inception, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been working toward the improvement of food safety. In partnership with the Lood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (LAO), WHO provides for the Secretariat of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). The latter Commission is responsible for all matters pertaining to the implementation of the Joint LAO/WHO Lood Standards Program. 

The importance of using common reference scales has been recognised for centuries. For example, in England, King John introduced consistent measures throughout the land in 1215. Other countries also had their own measurements scales standards. Many city museums show the standard measures used for trade within the city or local state. As trade widened so did the need for comparability of measurement results and the use of common units widened. The many different measurements scales were harmonised with the introduction of the metric system and the SI units under the Convention of the Metre signed in 1875. An excellent summary of the historical development of units of measurement is given in the NBS Special Publication 420 [1], Under the Convention of the Metre a hierarchical chain of national and international measurement standards has been developed for the measurement of most of physical quantities. 

Foods and Veterinary Medicine The FDA s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) and Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) actively participate in the development of international standards by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex). Codex is an international organization formed in 1962 to facilitate world trade in foods and to promote consumer protection. It is a subsidiary of two United Nations components, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the WHO. Codex standards cover food commodity standards (similar to FDA standards of identity), food additives, food contaminants, and residues of veterinary drugs in food. FDA officials chair two Codex committees, the Food Hygiene Committee and the Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods Committee, and participate in many others. 

The Codex Alimentarius (CA latin for food law or food code ) Commission (GAG) is an intergovernmental subsidiary to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) of the United Nations (UN) with the aim to formulate and implement internationally accepted food safety standards for the protection of consumer health and to ensure fair trade practices in the food industry. The principal result has been the publication of food commodity standards, hygiene and technical... 

Before an evaluation of the impact of a possible mycotoxin contamination in fruits on human health, the general procedure of risk assessment and the outcome thereof for mycotoxins by international agencies is briefly described. With the establishment of the World Trade Organization in 1995, standards and recommendations elaborated by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) reflect the international consensus for health and safety requirements (Moy, 1998). The CAC is an intergovernmental institution, which was founded in 1963 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 

After more than 50 ratifications. United Nations officials welcomed the entry into force of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on December 24, 2014, hailing it as a new chapter in collective efforts to bring responsibility, accountabUity and transparency to the global arms trade. From now on, the States Parties to this important treaty will have a legal obligation to apply the highest common standards to their international transfers of weapons and ammunition, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. ° ... 

The lEC, founded in 1906, oversees, on an international level, aU matters relating to standards for electrical and electronic items. Membership in the lEC is held by a National Committee for each nation. The United States National Committee (USNC) for lEC was founded in 1907, and since 1931 has been affiliated with ANSI. USNC has its members representatives from professional societies, trade associations, testing laboratories, government entities, other organizations, and individual experts. The USNC appoints a technical advisor and a technical advisory group for each lEC Committee and Subcommittee to help develop a unified United States position. These advisory groups are drawn from groups that are involved in the development of related U.S. national standards. 

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