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ANNEX 8MALAYSIA
1. INTRO DUC TIO N
Te c hnic a l sp e c ific a tio ns a nd re g ula tio ns a re inc re a sing ly b e ing e mp lo ye d in
tra d e . Tho ug h the imp o rting c o untrie s ma y intro d uc e so me no b le re a so ns fo r
suc h me a sure s, se ve ra l o f suc h me a sure s ha ve ina d ve rte ntly b e c o me tra d e
b a rrie rs. De ve lo p ing c o untrie s suc h a s the ASEAN me mb e r c o untrie s a re fa c ing
d iffic ultie s in me e ting with so me o f the a d ministra tive re q uire me nts tha t ha ve
b e c o me inte g ra l to c o mp ly with the te c hnic a l re q uire me nts.
2. TEC HNIC AL BARRIERS
2.1 Im po rt Re q uire m e nts fo r Plywo o d b y Ta iwa n – An Upda te
As re p o rte d in the p re vio us me e ting , Ta iwa n ha d imp o se d ne w imp o rt
re q uire me nts fo r fo rma ld e hyd e e missio n te st fo r p lywo o d s a nd LVL. The Bure a u o f
Sta nd a rd s, Me tro lo g y a nd Insp e c tio n (BSMI) und e r the Ministry o f Ec o no mic
Affa irs, Ta iwa n, ha s b e e n c o mmissio ne d to imp le me nt this re q uire me nt.
Und e r this re q uire me nt, the re a re two sc he me s a va ila b le fo r the imp o rte rs - the
Typ e -Ap p ro ve d Ba tc h Insp e c tio n (TABI) Sc he me a nd the Re g istra tio n o f Pro d uc t
C e rtific a tio n (RPC ) Sc he me . The TABI sc he me invo lve s b a tc h-b y-b a tc h
insp e c tio n a s the p ro d uc ts re a c h the p o rt o f e ntry in Ta iwa n. Und e r the RPC
Sc he me , e xp o rte rs a nd ma nufa c ture rs a re re q uire d in a d va nc e , to o b ta in
ne c e ssa ry c e rtific a te / e nd o rse me nt b y BSMI. O nc e the e xp o rte rs o r
ma nufa c ture rs ha ve o b ta ine d this c e rtific a te / e nd o rse me nt, the y c a n e xp o rt the ir
p ro d uc ts witho ut furthe r insp e c tio n.
AG ENDA ITEM 5.2
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Ma la ysia c o nd uc te d a te c hnic a l timb e r missio n to Ta iwa n in Ap ril 2007, a nd this
ma tte r wa s d isc usse d with the re le va nt p a rtie s in Ta iwa n. Re c o g nitio n wo uld o nly
b e c o nsid e re d to tho se b o d ie s whic h a re a c c re d ite d to Ta iwa n Ac c re d ita tio n
Fo und a tio n (TAF) a nd BSMI. It wa s the re fo re p ro p o se d tha t, Ma la ysia c o lla b o ra te
with the BSMI, within the p rinc ip a l e le me nts o utline d in MRA o f APLAC , ie . the
sig na to ry a c c re d ita tio n b o d ie s ha ve to e sta b lish mutua l c o nfid e nc e in the
te c hnic a l c o mp e te nc e o f APLAC sig na to rie s a nd the ir a c c re d ite d la b o ra to rie s
a nd insp e c tio n b o d ie s.
2.2 Pro g re ss o f Re visio n o f EN 636 : 2003 Plywo o d Spe c ific a tio n
Pa ne l p ro d uc ts p a rtic ula rly p lywo o d is o ne o f the ma in timb e r p ro d uc ts e xp o rte d
fro m ASEAN me mb e r c o untrie s. The re le va nt sta nd a rd re g a rd ing this p ro d uc t in
the Euro p e a n Unio n is EN 636:2003 Plywo o d – Sp e c ific a tio n. This sta nd a rd is d ue
fo r re visio n in 2008. Und e r the ne w p ro p o sa l, Me ra nti p lywo o d wo uld b e p la c e d in
Dura b ility C la ss 5, whic h is the lo we st c la ss a va ila b le . Sinc e Me ra nti sp e c ie s is
wid e ly use d in ma nufa c turing p lywo o d in ASEAN, this p ro p o sa l is e xp e c te d to
e ffe c t ASEAN e xp o rt to the EU.
The d e ve lo p me nts re g a rd ing this ma tte r ha ve b e e n b rie fe d d uring the 5th
Me e ting o f this PWG . This ma tte r ha s a lso b e e n fo rwa rd e d to AC C SQ fo r furthe r
a c tio n. The re ha s no t b e e n a ny furthe r d e ve lo p me nt o n this ma tte r.
2.3 C la ssific a tio n o f Bo ra te s Unde r C a te g o ry 2 - The Da ng e ro us Sub sta nc e
In e a rly 2007, EC ha d no tifie d the TBT C o mmitte e o f the 30th Ad a p ta tio n to
Te c hnic a l Pro g re ss (ATP) p ro p o sing tha t b o ra te s b e c la ssifie d a s C a te g o ry 2, to xic
to re p ro d uc tio n, und e r the EC ’ s Da ng e ro us Sub sta nc e s Dire c tive . C a te g o ry 2
sub sta nc e s must c a rry the skull a nd c ro ssb o ne s la b e l. The ra tio na le b e hind this
mo ve is to p ro te c t huma n he a lth a nd the e nviro nme nt. The p ro p o se d d a te o f
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3. C O NC LUSIO N
ASEAN Me mb e r C o untrie s ne e d to b e vig ila nt o n d e ve lo p me nt o f sta nd a rd s a t
inte rna tio na l le ve l a s we ll a s intro d uc tio n o f te c hnic a l re g ula tio n imp o se d b y
imp o rting c o untrie s.
C urre ntly, the re q uire me nts b y Ja p a n a nd Ta iwa n fo r imp o rt o f p lywo o d a re the
ma jo r c o nc e rn whic h re q uire s p ro a c tive a c tio ns b y ASEAN Me mb e r C o untrie s,
whilst the b o ra te issue sho uld a lso b e mo nito re d to e nsure tha t EC d o e s no t
imp o se tra d e re stric tio n me a sure s.
