Annex C of the SPS Agreement requires that testing and inspection procedures used by governments to enforce SPS measures do not themselves act as unnecessary trade barriers. The basic requirement is that any such procedures should not be less favourable for imported products than they are for domestic goods, and should be no more than what is necessary to ensure compliance. This applies for time delays, information requirements, fees, sampling procedures, siting of facilities, etc.

Some countries have national approval procedures or “positive list” systems whereby only explicitly approved additives or tolerances for contaminants are permitted. In these cases, the SPS Agreement requires that the country consider the use of a relevant international standard as the basis for allowing import access until they have made a final safety determination.

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