Israel and the US sign a Mutual Recognition Agreement in Telecommunication Products

October 17, 2012, category: General

Israel Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, Mr. Shalom Simchon and Ambassador Miriam Sapiro, Deputy USTR, at the signing ceremony

Israel and the United States announced on Oct. 15 the signing of a mutual recognition agreement that will ease burdens on American and Israeli  companies seeking to export telecommunications products to the otehr country. This agreement, which covers equipment subject to telecom regulation including wire and wireless equipment and terrestrial and satellite equipment, will enter into force after both sides have completed all internal legal requirements.

Under this agreement,  Israeli regulatory authorities will accept tests that recognized U.S. laboratories perform to determine the conformity of telecom equipment with Israeli technical requirements, rather than requiring additional testing by Israeli laboratories, and vice versa.  The agreement also provides that in the future the two countries can agree to the mutual acceptance of equipment certifications by recognized conformity assessment bodies in the U.S. and Israel (second phase of the agreement). These provisions are expected to save manufacturers the time and expenses of additional product testing and certification, which is expected to lower prices for consumers and boost exports.