Welcome to ASTM
in the International Arena
Officers' Training Workshop 2010
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What We Will Cover
• Global Objectives
• Global Acceptance and Use
of ASTM Standards
• MOU Program
• International Membership
• Engagement
• Resources for US Technical Advisory
Groups (US TAGS)
• Your suggestions and thoughts
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ASTM International’s Global Aim
To ensure that ASTM
International standards that
you develop are the most
widely recognized, accepted
and used standards around
the world
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Global Cooperation Objectives
Minimizing the barriers to the use
and application of ASTM
International standards
Facilitating increased active
participation by technical experts
from around the globe
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International Standards
WTO / TBT Principles
ASTM Principles
Transparency
Transparency
Openness
Openness
Impartiality and consensus
Impartiality and consensus
Effectiveness and relevance
Effectiveness and relevance
Coherence
Coherence
Consideration of developing nations
Consideration of developing nations
“Constraints on developing countries, in particular to effectively
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participate in standards development should be taken into
consideration in the standards development process.”
Who Uses the Standards?
Internationally
5191 citations of ASTM
standards that have been
adopted, referenced or used
as the basis of a national
standard.
• China – 571
• Colombia – 989
• Ecuador – 234
• Mexico - 379
• Panama – 139
• Philippines – 328
• Saudi Arabia – 923
• South Africa – 501
• Trinidad and Tobago – 231
• Turkey – 492
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• Vietnam - 161
MOU Objectives
Promote communication
Avoid duplication of work efforts in standardization
Promote knowledge of the standards development
activities of each partner
Utilize ASTM standards/resources to benefit the
national standards system of developing nations
Promote participation to enhance international
input and multi-dimensional content into ASTM
standards
Enhance the worldwide acceptance and use of
ASTM International standards
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Training Offered to MoU
Signatories
Standards Expert Program
(SEP)
• One-month, on-site educational
program
Technical Assistance Training
Program
• Provision of a Technical and
Professional Training Program incountry
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Standards Expert Program
2005 (2) - China
2006 (3) - Indonesia, Vietnam, Zambia
2007 (2) - Colombia, Saudi Arabia
2008 (2) - Peru, Korea
2009 (4) - China, Ghana, Israel, Jamaica
2010 (2) - South Africa, Vietnam
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Technical Assistance Training Program
2009 Concrete and Cement training workshop in Amman, Jordan
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ASTM Online Centers
Colombia - Asociación Colombiana de Productores
de Concreto (ASOCRETO)
Costa Rica - Instituto Costarricense del Cemento y
del Concreto (ICCYC)
Ecuador - Asociación de Productores de Hormigón
Premezclado del Ecuador (APRHOPEC)
Guatemala - Instituto del Cemento y del Concreto
de Guatemala (ICCG)
Panama - Asociación Panameña de Productores
de Concreto (APACRETO)
Mexico - Asociación Mexicana de la Industria del
Concreto (AMIC)
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ASTM Board of Directors
Brazil
Ricardo Fragoso - ABNT
Germany
Torsten Bahke - DIN
Japan
Masami Tanaka - JSA
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ASTM International in Mexico
Luis Ordonez and Vanessa Corona
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ASTM International in China
Liu Fei and Hu Yunan
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International Members
International Members
Europe 26%
Middle East 6%
Africa 3%
Central/South
America 14%
Australasia 27%
Canada 24%
Engaging International Participation
ASTM International uses the
Internet to overcome the
barriers of space and time
• Virtual Meetings
• Online Collaboration Areas
• Electronic Balloting
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Virtual Meetings
• 23 special international virtual meetings held in 2009
• Involved over 440 participants from 37 countries
• Most involved a technical topic
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Online Collaboration Areas
• Allows task group members to comment on Draft
• Includes discussion threads, post related documents
• Enables communication between members
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Electronic Balloting
• 3200 standards actions per year
• MoU and other international members are active
• Same rules apply for inactivity on returning ballots
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Other Engagement Opportunities
Delegation Visits
Videoconferencing
Meetings Outside
U.S.
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Intensive Training
Delegation Visits
• In 2009, 12 delegations from 5 countries
• U.S. Trade and Development Agency
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• Commercial Law Development Program
Videoconferencing
• ASTM has portable equipment at Headquarters
• Other conference participant must have compatible equipment
• Many countries have such facilities housed at universities
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Meetings Outside U.S.
• ASTM often speaks to international audiences
• Will work with industry partners to promote ASTM
• Often need in-country experts to present on behalf of ASTM
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Intensive Training
CIPET
• New model for training
• Headquarters, Committee Week, Washington DC, Site visits
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• Primarily industry funded
Multiple Paths to International Standards
ASTM International and the U.S. Government, a
WTO member, believe that there are many ways
to develop international standards.
Reflected in:
• U.S. Standards Strategy
• http://www.ansi.org/standards_activities/nss/usss.aspx
• U.S. Department of Commerce
• http://www.ita.doc.gov/td/standards/International%20Policy.htm
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Approaches to Standards Development
ASTM vs. ISO
• Structure
• Administration
• Participation
• Development Process
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Resources for US
Technical Advisory Groups (US TAGS)
• Participation in ISO/IEC
• Intellectual Property Issues
• ANSI/ISO/IEC Policy Documents
• Forms/Reports
• Template for Voting, Annual Report, Head of Delegation Report
• Training Information
• http://www.astm.org/COMMIT/TAGproject.htm
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