U.S.-China Automotive Standards Workshop
March 1 - 3, 2000

On 1-3 March, Technology Services' Office of Standards Services sponsored a three-day workshop for representatives of the Chinese automotive sector. The NIST workshop was a component of a two-week program organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International. The purpose of the program was to enhance opportunities for harmonized standards and promote China's recognition of U.S. standards and conformity assessment practices.

The 27 workshop participants from the Chinesegovernment and private sector were introduced to the U.S. agencies and organizationsinvolved in automotive standards development and conformity assessment. Theyheard about the public and private sector responsibilities regarding automobilequality and safety, as well as various aspects of the U.S. system, includinga description of the U.S. automotive industry and regulatory approach. Participantsalso toured several NIST laboratories within MSEL and MEL where they were exposedto the research being done at NIST related to the automotive sector. The NISTvisit concluded with a lively discussion among U.S. industry representativesand the members of the Chinese delegation about future trends in the automotiveindustry.