The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“WORLD STANDARDS DAY” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1924-E1925 on Sept. 22, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
WORLD STANDARDS DAY
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HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA
of maryland
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, September 22, 1999
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, today, the United States observes ``World Standards Day.''
Since 1970, World Standards Day has raised awareness of the need for international standardization in an increasingly global economy.
Harmonized technical standards provide open export markets for U.S. products. According to the Department of Commerce, standards play a role in $150 billion worth of U.S. exports, and serve as a barrier to the export of between $20 billion and $40 billion worth of U.S. goods and services.
As other barriers to trade are torn down, non-harmonized technical standards are one of the last restraints on the free flow of international commerce.
World Standards Day is an example of how the public and private sectors can work together to ensure U.S. products and services are accepted in the global marketplace.
The co-chairs of the World Standards Day Committee are the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a private institution, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
This type of public/private cooperation is crucial to ensure America's competitiveness in overseas markets.
Mr. Speaker, today, on World Standards Day, I ask the Congress to recognize the important role international standards pay in our economy and in our international competitiveness.
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