Common standards to ease biscuits, sugar & milk trade in South Asia

NEW DELHI: India and its neighbours have for the first time agreed on common standards for biscuits, refined sugar and milk products that will reduce the need for inspections at border points and give a major boost to movement of these goods in South Asia.

This could serve as a template for bigger partnerships within the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) nations such as the South Asian Economic Union, experts said. Besides India, the members of the grouping are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Saarc has finalised requirements related to packaging, marking, labelling and sampling of biscuits and refined sugar to reduce intra-regional trade costs and non-tariff barriers to trade in the region.

Apart from physical and microbiological requirements for biscuits and refined sugar, the South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO) has set standards for production, processing and handling of milk and milk products. “SARSO has arrived at regulatory standards for three products. These regional standards will help these goods across borders in Saarc countries,” said an official aware of the details. In 2017-18 India exported goods worth $22.9 billion to Saarc partners and imported goods worth $3.2 billion.


Harmonisation of standards will reduce the need for inspections at border points by enabling acceptance by importing countries of certificates issued by an exporting country. At present, all products certified by the standards organisation of one member nation have to be accepted by other member states.

The organisation has identified food and agricultural products; jute, textile and leather; building materials; chemicals and chemical products and electrical and electronic products as sectors for harmonisation of standards.

“Agriculture and food items are most important areas in Saarc region. Hence, standards have been made for these first,” said another official. If some countries are using different standards from that of the organisation, individual countries will have to make necessary changes to implement the regional standards. “Now we don’t need to check if individual countries’ standards are being complied with,” the second official said.

To take effect, the common standards will have to be notified by the regulatory authority of each country.