Standards and Global Trade: A Voice for Africa provides information and guidance for policymakers, the development community, and others in the critical area of "behind the border" barriers to trade. With a view to promoting efforts to strengthen Africa's capacity to meet trade standards and comply with technical regulations, the volume examines the link between those standards and regulations and export success in case studies of five countries: Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda.

Each chapter describes the economic context of trade standards in a country and examines the mechanisms by which standards and regulations are established and revised at the local and international levels. The authors — local experts in the region — review existing trade regulations and determine the extent to which they are consistent with international practices. They also analyze each country's physical infrastructure, organizational capacities, and current standard implementation process and consider the probable impact of new standards, regulations, and related production / marketing practices in key industries.
The first comprehensive assessment of the relationship between trade standards and development priorities in Sub-Saharan Africa, this volume offers concrete action plans for supporting African firms and farmers in their efforts to improve product quality and reach international markets in key commodity sectors.
Chapters include:
Improving Market Access through Standards Compliance: A Diagnostic and Road Map for Kenya
Bridging the Standards Divide: A Case Study and Action Plan for Mozambique
Standards, Technical Regulations, and Product Quality: Institutional Evidence from Nigeria
Standards and Trade in South Africa: Paving Pathways for Increased Market Access and Competitiveness
Enhancing Uganda's Access to International Markets: A Focus on Quality