WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S.-India Standards and Conformance Cooperation Program (SCCP) was recently endorsed by Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) of the U.S. House of Representatives. In a letter dated November 3, 2009, McDermott detailed the work of the SCCP and expressed support of the Program's initiatives.

Launched in March 2009, SCCP aims to improve market access and increase trade between the United States and India by boosting cooperation on standards and conformance issues.

"The Indo-U.S. trade relationship has increased substantially in recent years, and has helped to create new jobs here in the U.S.," said Mr. McDermott. "With targeted attention to key market-access issues, we can help assure that this trend continues. I am pleased to support the U.S. -India SCCP in its efforts in this area, and I encourage companies in both India and the U.S. to get engaged in this important initiative."

SCCP is carried out by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) with funding from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and in coordination with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

The program uses a highly interactive workshop format, where small groups of experts from targeted industry sectors participate in technical discussions about regulations, standards, and conformity assessment activities that could significantly affect the requirements for their industry.

SCCP recently held its first workshop in India, with a focus on improving codes and standards for fire safety in tall buildings. Rep. McDermott's letter was read to workshop attendees to underscore the support the program is receiving from the U.S. public sector.

"The program will work to increase transparency for standards and regulatory requirements, encourage policies that would facilitate trade, and help U.S. industry engage in standards development activities in India," said Mr. McDermott in his letter, available in full here.

"Collaboration in the areas of standards and conformity assessment not only helps to reduce barriers to bilateral trade and investment, but also facilitates transfer of technologies between the U.S. and India," explained S. Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO. "With the trade relationship between India and the United States growing by leaps and bounds, this is the perfect time to share information and build relationships through efforts like SCCP. We thank Representative McDermott for his continued engagement and support of this program."

For more information or to participate, visit www.standardsportal.org/us-indiasccp or contact Leslie McDermott, ANSI program administrator for regional and bilateral affairs (lmcdermott@ansi.org; 202-331-3626).

About ANSI

ANSI is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the diverse interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide.

The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and is a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). ANSI currently has offices in New York City and Washington, DC. For more information about ANSI, see www.ansi.org.

SOURCE American National Standards Institute