STANDARDS AND TRADE PERFORMANCE - THE UK EXPERIENCE

This paper analyses the effects of standards on UK trade performance. The results suggest that UK strength in standards improves the UK trad e balance, but can also act to make the UK market more open. The resul ts also contradict two common views of the effects of standards standa rds: first, that standards activity in one country is cancelled out by competing standards activity in another; and second, that internation al standards are the only ones that give trade advantage while 'idiosy ncratic' national standards are largely irrelevant. The findings indic ate that standards promote intra-industry trade, and that 'idiosyncrat ic' standards can promote exports.