In Mexico standardization manifests as the mandatory Official Mexican Standards (NOM), prepared by federal government agencies, and the primarily voluntary Mexican Standards (NMX) promoted by the Secretariat of Economy and the private sector through national standardization bodies. To demonstrate that a product or item for sale conforms to the standard which governs it, the Conformity Assessment process comes into play (which involves certification, verification, calibration, sampling and testing procedures, according to the case).

Not just anyone can ensure that a good or service conforms to the standard. An accreditation body is required to assess the technical competence and reliability of certification organisms, test laboratories, calibration laboratories and verification units.
Standardization and conformity assessment would not be possible without the support of metrology to ensure the accuracy of measurements, making it one of the cornerstones of industrial development and the certitude of trade transactions.

To ensure that standardization is as effective as it can be, the Secretariat of Economy participates in forums and international organisms such as the Codex Alimentarius, the Pan American Standards Commission (Copant), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

National Standardization

Standardization is the process which regulates activities performed in the private and public sectors concerning health, the environment, user security, trade information and trade, industrial and working practices through which the terminology, classification, guidelines, specifications, attributes, characteristics, testing methods and requirements applicable to a product or service are established.

The basic principles in the standardization process are: representativeness, consensus, public consultation, modification and review.

Standardization activity is understood as the consolidation of knowledge which is gathered through consultation with experts from a productive branch or activity. It is a document through which interested sectors (including manufacturers, users and government) agree on the desirable technical features of a product, process or service.

The process involves the development, issue and national dissemination of standards, which consist of three main types:

a. Official Mexican Standard  (NOM), is a mandatory technical regulation issued by the competent standardization agencies through National Standardization Committees, in accordance with Article 40 of the Federal Metrology and Standardization Law (LFMN), which establishes the rules, specifications, attributes, guidelines, characteristics or requirements applicable to a product, process, service or production method or operation, as well as the rules regarding terminology, symbology, packaging and marking or labeling and their compliance or application.

b. Mexican Standard (NMX), prepared by a national standardization body, or failing that the Secretariat of Economy, pursuant to Article 54 of the LFMN which provides for common and repeated use, rules, specifications, attributes, testing methods, guidelines, characteristics or requirements applicable to a product, process, installation, system, activity, service or method of production or operation, and those related to terminology, symbology, packaging and marking or labeling.

c. Reference Standards (NRF) are produced by public administration entities in accordance with Article 67 of the LFMN and are applied to goods and services acquired, leased or hired when Mexican or international standards do not cover their requirements or their specifications become obsolete or inapplicable.

Within the standardization process, national standards are developed throught the consultation of international standards and guidelines and foreign standards, which are described below:

d. International Standard or Guidelines: regulatory document issued by an international standardization body or other relevant international body, recognized by the Mexican government under the terms of international rights.

e. Foreign Standard: is issued by a public or private standardization body or agency which is officially recognized by a country.

Standardization Processes

For federal agencies to be able to issue a NOM, the Federal Law on Metrology and Standardization requires them to form a committee, known as National Consulting Standardization Committees (CCNNs), to develop the project of the standard, (after registration in the National Standardization Program) and which is published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) for review during a period of 60 days.


At the end of this period, the CCNN analyzes and makes observations on the comments received. The replies to the comments are also published in the DOF. The CCNN then authorizes the final standard to be published in the DOF.

The development of a NMX is done in a similar way: the standards are developed by the National Standardization Bodies or the National Standardization Technical Committees (CTNN) coordinated by the Secretariat of Economy.

National Standardization Commission

The National Standardization Commission (Comisión Nacional de Normalización, CNN) is the coordination body of standardization policy at national level and currently comprises 43 members among agencies and public federal administration entities, chambers, national standardization bodies and associations related to standardization.

The main functions of the CNN is to annually approve the National Standardization Program, establish rules of coordination between agencies and entities of the federal public administration for the preparation and diffusion of standards, resolve any differences which may arise in the national consulting standardization committees and comment on the registration of national standardization bodies.

1. Presidency: The Presidency is the coordinating body of the CNN which, annually and in rotation, is the responsibility of the undersecretary agreed upon. 
2. Technical Secretariat: The Technical Secretariat is the technical and administrative body of the CNN under the permanent charge of the Secretariat of Economy through the General Directorate of Standards.
3. Technical Council: The Technical Council is the auxiliary body of the CNN, responsible for analyzing, preparing and proposing solutions to matters entrusted to it by its President. The Council is coordinated annually and in rotation by the Undersecretary of the agency receiving the Presidency of the CNN in the next rotation.
 
Meetings
The CNN meets at least once every 3 months and makes its decisions by consensus and, failing this, by majority vote of the members of the federal public administration agencies which comprise it.
Information about the matters dealt with in each meeting and the agreements reached therein is available in the minutes of each meeting.

Available only in Spanish

Meeting 1-2011
Annex 1
Minutes 04-2010
Agenda -01-2011

Extraordinary Meeting 1-2011
Annex 1
Annex 3
CNN Report
Minutes 02-2011

Meeting 2-2011
Annex 1
Minutes 01-2011
Agenda-02-2011
Presentation CNN NMX COTENNGAS
Criteria Proposal PNN SPNN

Meeting 3-2011
Annex 1
Report 03-2011
Extraordinary Minutes 03-2011
Agenda 03-2011

National Standardization Technical Committees

The National Standardization Technical Committees (Comités Técnicos de Normalización Nacional, CTNN) are organs recognized by the Secretariat of Economy (SE) and their function is to develop Mexican standards (NMX) in those areas of industry where a National Standardization Organisms does not exist.

Mexican standards are classified into branches or economic sectors according to the following table:

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National Standardization Organisms

National Standardization Bodies (ONN) are legal entities whose primary objective is the development and issue of Mexican standards in the fields in which they are registered by the General Directorate of Standards.

ONNs should allow all interested sectors and competent federal public administration agencies and entities to participate on Mexican standards development committees.

There are currently 9 registered ONNs.

List of registered ONNs and areas where they are registered

To find out more about National Standardization Bodies, visit their websites:

a)  Mexican Standardization Society (NORMEX)

b) Mexican Standardization and Certification Institute  (IMNC)

c)  Standardization and Certification Association (ANCE)

d)  National Textile Standardization Institute (INNTEX)

e) National Standardization and Certification Body for Construction and Building  (ONNCCE)

f) Electronic Standardization and Certification (NYCE)

g) Council for the Quality of Milk and Dairy Products (COFOCALEC)

h) Product Standardization and Certification Center (CNCP)

i) National Chamber of the Iron and Steel Industry  (CANACERO)

National Standardization Program and Supplement

The National Standardization Program (PNN) is the informative planning instrument that lists the topics to be developed as Official Mexican Standards (NOMs), Mexican Standards (NMX) and Reference Standards (NRFs) each year.

The program is made up of information provided by the 24 National Consulting Standardization Committees responsible for the development of NOMs, the 35 National Technical Standardization Committees and 9 National Standardization Bodies jointly responsible for the development of NMXs and the 2 Standardization Committees for the development of NRFs.

The PNN is integrated each year by the Technical Secretariat of the National Standardization Commission, reviewed by the Technical Council of the same and approved by the National Standardization Commission (CNN) itself at the first meeting of each year.

The deadline for the inclusion of topics in the PNN is November 30 each year. To be included, the topic should adhere to the PNN's rules for inclusion approved by the CNN. When required, the CNN may approve the development of a supplement to the PNN, in which case, the topics to be included should be sent to the CNN's Technical Secretariat no later than June 30 of the relevant year.

Compliance with the PNN is assessed annually by the CNN's Technical Council in accordance with the provisions of the PNN's Assessment Mechanism.

Links of Interest

Find out about the National Standardization PROGRAM 2012 (Only available in Spanish).

First Part
Second Part
Third Part
Fourth Part

Find out about the 
SUPPLEMENT to the National Standardization Program 2011

National Standardization Advisory Committees

The National Standardization Advisory Committees (CCNNs) develop Official Mexican Standards and promote their compliance, and are made up of and presided over by the competent agency.

In addition to technical staff from the competent agencies according to the committee's subject area, they will include industrial organizations, service providers, traders, agricultural, forestry or fishing producers, scientific or technology research centers, professional associations and consumers.

There are currently 25 CCNNs of the 11 standardization agencies  which develop Official Mexican Standards in the area of their respective functions.

The CCNN are governed by organizational guidelines, approved and issued b

Metrology

Metrology, the science of measurement, is addressed in Mexico by various public institutions, the middle and higher education sector and private organizations.

The importance of metrology lies in the frame of reference that this field of knowledge provides, without which no standardization initiative would be feasible.

Legal, scientific or industrial metrology is a basic quality tool insofar as it ensures the accuracy of measurements and therefore is one of the cornerstones of industrial development and the certainty of trade transactions.

The forerunner of modern metrology in Mexico dates back to 1857, when the country adopted the Decimal Metric System.

The General Directorate of Standards (DGN) performs activities specifically focused on scientific, industrial and legal metrology and also coordinates efforts to support the federal public sector in the field.

It is also responsible for:

1.- Authorizing the use of units provided for in other measurement systems (procedure SE-04-001).

2.- Approving the model or prototype of measuring instruments and templates subject to an Official Mexican Standard (procedure SE-04-002).

3.- Authorizing national measurement standards (procedure SE-04-003).

4.- Certifying Official Mexican Standards (of measuring instruments) upon request when no accredited and approved certification body exists (procedure SE-04-005).

5.- Approving Calibration Laboratories and Verification Units of measuring instruments (procedure SE-04-007).

6.- Preserving national meter and kilogram prototypes or assigning custody to other entities for better preservation.

7.- Issuing the list of measuring instruments with mandatory initial, periodic and extraordinary verification and modifications to the list of measuring instruments

8.- Diffusing the use and application of the General System of Units of Measurement (NOM-008-SCFI-2002).

9.- Issuing Official Mexican Standards on metrology.

10.- Authorizing the Traceability of National and Foreign Standards.

Only available in Spanish

List of measuring instruments with Model or Prototype Approval in their respective standards

Measurement Traceability

All equipment used for tests and/or calibrations, including equipment for auxiliary measurements (for example, environmental conditions), which has a significant effect on the accuracy or validity of the outcome of the test, calibration or sampling, must be calibrated before being put into service.

The laboratory must have an established procedure and calibration program for its equipment.

Note: such a program should include a system of selection, use, calibration, verification, control and maintenance of the measurement standard, reference materials used as measurement standards and measuring and testing equipment used to carry out the tests and calibrations.

Authorization for the traceability of measuring instruments applies when:

1.       There is no authorized national standard

2.       The authorized national standard is unavailable

3.       The accuracy offered does not meet the applicant's needs

4.       The calibration time is unjustifiably long

5.       There are no accredited and approved calibration laboratories for the said service

Authorization for reference materials applies when:

1.       The National Metrology Center or the National Nuclear Research Institute does not have the materials in stock or available for sale.

2.       Accredited and approved laboratories who need to assess compliance to Official Mexican Standards where technical measurement and calibration services are required must be traceable to national or, where applicable, foreign standards.

Cases which do not require authorization for traceability:

By agreement in official letter DGN-312-07-2004-950, the General Directorate of Standards issues a list of substances and materials which do not require a traceability ruling by the National Metrology Center, and consequently authorization for traceability to national or foreign standards need not be requested from the General Directorate.

Conformity Assessment

Conformity assessment is the determination of the degree of compliance with Official Mexican Standards or Mexican Standards, international standards or other specifications, prescriptions or characteristics. It includes, among other concepts, sampling procedures, testing, calibration, certification and verification.

All products, processes, methods, installations, services or activities must comply with Official Mexican Standards.

When a product or service must comply with a certain Official Mexican Standard, its imported equivalent must also comply with the specifications established in the said standard.

The Federal Metrology and Standardization Law establishes the possibility for private entities to perform the conformity assessment function through visual verification, sampling, measurement, laboratory testing or documentary examination.

These conformity assessment agents, depending on their activities and functions, are known as:

a) Certification Organisms

b) Testing Laboratories

c) Calibration Laboratories

d) Verification Units
For the conformity assessment of Official Mexican Standards, a competence of the Secretariat of Economy, conformity assessment agents must be accredited and approved.

Certification Organisms

Certification bodies are legal entities whose aim is to perform certification tasks, meaning to assess whether a product, process, system or service meets the standards, guidelines or recognition of organisms dedicated to national or international standardization.

They are third party institutions in whose functional technical structure the following sectors participate: production, distribution, marketing, service provision, consumer, professional associations, and higher and scientific education institutions.

Here you will find the list of:

1.- Accredited Certification Organisms

2.- Product Certification Organisms (only available in Spanish)

3.- Quality Management System Organisms

Verification Unit

Verification Units are individuals or legal entities which perform acts of verification, meaning they perform conformity assessment activities through visual verification or checking, sampling, measurement, laboratory testing or documentary examination at a given time, in the confidence that the services they provide are conducted with technical competence, impartiality and confidentiality.

Approved Verification Units

Secretariat of Economy

Measuring Instruments

Available in Spanish

Secretariat of Energy

Available in Spanish

Energy Regulatory Commission

Available in Spanish

Gas
Available in Spanish

Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS)

Available in Spanish

Mutual Recognition Agreement

The primary objective of Mutual Recognition Agreements is to reduce Technical Barriers to Trade (TBTs). The World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade  "urges members, at the request of other members, to engage in negotiations aimed at completing the mutual recognition agreements from the results of their respective conformity assessment procedures", in order for the results to be "mutually satisfactory" from the point of view of their potential to facilitate trade in the products in question.

The Secretariat of Economy may enter into agreements with foreign and international official institutions for the mutual recognition of the results of conformity assessment conducted by Accredited Agencies and Individuals.

The agreements must conform to the provisions of international treaties signed by Mexico.

EXTRACT from the Mutual Recognition Agreement between Factual Services, S.C. (FACTUAL) located in Mexico, and TUV Rheinland of North America Inc. (TUV) located in the United States of America, for the acceptance of conformity assessment results for electric and electronic products. (Available in Spanish).

EXTRACT from the Extension to the Mutual Recognition Agreement entered into by the Asociación de Normalización y Certificación, A.C. (Standardization and Certification Association, ANCE), located in Mexico and Canadian Standards Association (CSA) located in Canada, for the acceptance of laboratory test results for electric and electronic products. (Available in Spanish).

EXTRACT from the Mutual Recognition Agreement between Intertek Testing Services de México, S.A. de C.V. (Intertek ETL Semko México) located in Mexico, and Intertek Testing Services Thailand Limited (Intertek) located in Thailand, for the acceptance of conformity assessment results for electric and electronic products.

EXTRACT from the Extension to the Mutual Recognition Agreement entered into by the Asociación de Normalización y Certificación, A.C. (Standardization and Certification Association, ANCE) and different certification bodies and their respective laboratories, members of the IECEE association, CB-Scheme, in the inspection and/or monitoring activities in plant and/or warehouse, solely for members participating in the IECEE CB-FCS (Full Certification Scheme).

Equivalence Agreements

The North American Free Trade Agreement, in its Article 906.6 establishes that each Party shall, wherever possible, accept the results of a conformity assessment procedure conducted in the territory of another Party, provided that it is satisfied that the procedure offers an assurance, equivalent to that provided by a procedure it conducts or a procedure conducted in its territory the results of which it accepts, that the relevant good or service complies with the applicable technical regulation or standard adopted or maintained in the Party's territory.

EQUIVALENCY agreements of NOM-001-SCFI-1993, NOM-016-SCFI-1993, NOM-019-SCFI-1998 and the Twentieth Amendment to the Agreement by which the Secretariat of Economy issues General Rules and Criteria on Foreign Trade Matters published by the Secretariat of Economy in the Official Gazette of the Federation on August 17th, 2010. (Available in Spanish)

AGREEMENT accepting as equivalents to NOM-001-SCFI-1993, Domestic appliances that run on different energy sources-safety requirements and testing methods for the approval type and their conformity assessment results, technical regulations and procedures for conformity assessments of the United States of America and Canada. (Available in Spanish).

AGREEMENT accepting as equivalents to NOM-016-SCFI-1993, Electronic appliances-electronic office appliances that run on different energy sources-safety requirements and testing methods and their conformity assessment results, technical regulations and procedures for conformity assessments of the United States of America and Canada. (Available in Spanish).

AGREEMENT accepting as equivalents to NOM-019-SCFI-1998, Security of Data Processing Equipment and their conformity assessment results,  technical regulations and procedures for conformity assessments of the United States of America and Canada. (Available in Spanish).

International Standardization

International trade activity has established the need to use as reference the standards agreed by world consensus within international bodies. A forum therefore emerges which creates a common language and a minimum requirement as far as world trade, in order to avoid technical barriers or unfair competition.

It is important to reflect the national interest in these activities including, as far as possible, the opinion of public, private, scientific and consumer sectors.

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Codex Alimentarius
The Codex Alimentarius is currently made up of 184 countries and 1 member organization (European Community). Mexico has been a member since 1963. The Codex has 16 product and general affairs committees, 6 regional committees and 1 intergovernmental action group.

The Codex Alimentarius has become a global point of reference for consumers, food producers, national food control bodies and the international food trade.

The standards, codes of practice, guidelines and recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius are an international reference for the World Trade Organization (WTO).

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Pan American Standards Commission

The Pan American Standards Commission (Copant) is a regional standardization body which pools the National Standards Bodies (NSBs) of the Americas.

On July 12, 1949, in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in the headquarters of the Engineering Institute, the Pan American Standards Committee, CPANT, was founded. In New York, 1964, the General Assembly of the Pan American Committee changed its name to the Pan American Standards Commission under the short title, Copant.

There are now a total of 15 active members and 8 adherents. Mexico is an active and founding member of the Copant.

The Copant is the technical standardization and conformity assessment reference of American countries and their international counterparts, and promotes the development of its members.

The work of the Copant is divided into 9, to date, Technical Committees (TCs).

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International Organization for Standardization

Founded in 1947, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a network of the national standardization bodies of 157 countries, with a Central Secretariat located in Geneva, Switzerland.

ISO standards have a broad scope and are enforced by its Technical Committees (TCs) and their Sub-Committees.

Participating sectors include:
1) Agriculture
2) Chemicals
3) Construction
4) Environment
5) Medicine and Health
6) Mechanical Engineering
7) Social Responsibility
8) Information Technologies

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International Electrotechnical Commission

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) was founded in 1906, following a resolution approved in 1904 at the International Electric Congress in St. Louis, Missouri.

The IEC is a non-profit, non-governmental organization comprising the National Committees of 81 countries which send their experts and delegates from industry, government, associations and academia to participate in the IEC's technical and conformity assessment work.

It is the leading organization for the development of international standards and conformity assessment systems for electrical and electronic products.

Standards

National

International

Mexican Committee for Attention to the ISO (CMISO)

Mexican Electrotechnical Committee (CEM)

Mexican Committee for Attention to the COPANT

Mexican Standards Catalog

Committee for Attention to the ISO (CMISO)

The Mexican Electrotechnical Committee, CEM, has as its objectives:

a) Coordinate Mexico's participation in the work and meetings of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in all standardization matters related to the fields of Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Electrical Communications.

b) Promote international cooperation in all aspects related to integral standardization in the aforementioned fields.

c) Disseminate and promote IEC work and standards around the country.

d) The CEM was created by agreement dated February 6, 1981 and restructured on May 16, 1994 when Mexico re-entered the IEC.

e) The CEM is the body of the Directorate General of Standards (DGN) responsible for representing Mexico to the IEC receiving, analyzing and responding to the technical documentation generated by the different IEC working groups, in order for the country's needs to be considered in international standards.

Among its activities are:

a) Coordinate Mexico's participation in the work and meetings of the IEC, in all standardization matters relating to the fields of electrotechnical and electrical engineering.

b) Promote international cooperation in all aspects related to integral standardization in the aforementioned fields.

c) Disseminate and promote IEC works and standards around the country.

Structure
It has the following structure:

1. Presidency
2. Vice-Presidency
3. Executive Secretariat and Technical Secretariat
4. Coordinators
 

The principal functions of the Presidency focus on CEM meetings and establishing joint strategies with the coordinators of the IEC mirror sub-committees.

The Vice-Presidency grants recommendations and strategic counseling and represents the Presidency in its absence.
 
The Executive Secretariat and Technical Secretariat are primarily responsible for calling the CEM's ordinary and extraordinary meetings; issuing national positions (votes), rulings, surveys, comments; the accreditations of the expert delegates of the mirror sub-committees (SCs) nominated to attend the international meetings of the different IEC technical and sub-committees.
 
The main function of the coordinators is to call the meetings of the mirror SCs to agree on the national positions regarding IEC documents in conjunction with mirror SC members in Mexico.

Agreements for reaching the CEM's objectives are established at the board meetings.

Mexican Committee for Attention to the Pan American Standards Commission (CMCOPANT)

The Mexican Committee for Attention to the Pan American Standards Commission, CMCOPANT, seeks to promote, publicize and disseminate the development of standardization in all fields, from academia to consumers, ensuring consensus for greater satisfaction and global competence in Mexico.


The specific objectives are as follows:

a) Develop for the countries of the region those rules which are of interest to them and which have not been developed by known international bodies or that exist but do not relate to their particular interest;

b) Promote coordination between members to facilitate the harmonization of their technical standards,

c) Procure the use and application of international trade and industry standards;

d) Be an agent of liaison, coordination and representation of its members; promote teaching and technical training in standardization areas and their related activities; and

e) Foster the development of certification systems based on international criteria.

f) The CMCOPANT is the official body of the Directorate General of Standards (DGN) responsible for representing Mexico before the Copant. 

g) The CMCOPANT was established on May 13, 1998.


Its activities include:

a) Coordinate Mexico's participation in the work and meetings of the Copant's Technical Committees (TCs).

b) Propose new work topics which represent the interests of the TCs on which Mexico actively participates.

c) Cooperate with National Standardization Bodies (NSBs) in all Copant-related standardization matters.

d) Participate on the Board of Directors and lead the Technical Secretariat of two Technical Committees, the TC 149 Tourism Services and the TC 151 Electrotechnical and SmartGrid.

Structure
Its structure is as follows:

a) Presidency

b) Executive Secretariat

c) Technical Secretariat

 
The Sub-committees
The following Sub-committees are currently established:

a) 149 “Tourism Services",

b) 151 “Electrotechnical and SmartGrid” and

c) 152 “Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies”.

Mexican Standards Catalog

Pursuant to Article 2 of the Internal Regulations of the Federal Metrology and Standardization Law, the Secretariat of Economy, through the General Directorate of Standards, is responsible for the operation of the Mexican Standards Catalog.

The Mexican Standards Catalog is permanently reviewed and updated according to NOM and NMX-related publications which are notified through the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) and include: Statements of Enforcement, projects concerning standards, cancellations and amendments and responses to comments.

According to the Federal Metrology and Standardization Law, there are basically three types of standards:

Official Mexican Standards (NOM) are mandatory technical regulations. They regulate products, processes and services when these may constitute a risk to people, animals, vegetables and the environment in general, among others.

Mexican Standards (NMX) are developed by a national standardization body, or the SE. They establish the minimum quality requirements of products and services in order to protect and guide consumers. Their application is voluntary, except in those cases where individuals express that their products, processes or services conform to them, or when a NOM requires the observance of a NMX for specific purposes.

Reference Standards (NRF) are developed by public administration entities for application to goods or services they acquire, lease or hire, when Mexican or international standards do not cover the relevant requirements or their specifications are obsolete or inapplicable.

Recent Information

The most relevant papers are published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF)

NOM

Find out about the Official Mexican Standards, NOM (standards projects, emergency standards, definitive standards), issued by the Federal Government.

NMX

Find the list of Mexican Standards, NMX (standards projects and definitive standards), issued by the SE or National Standardization Bodies (NSB).

NRF

Standards developed by federal public administration entities (e.g. PEMEX ,CFE)