The results of calibration and other laboratory testing performed by an accredited laboratory in one country will be accepted by an accredited laboratory in another country under a new international arrangement that may open up, or ease entry, of goods into international markets while reducing test and retest costs.

For many years, regulatory authorities and professional bodies conducted assessments of laboratory competence to give assurance about the calibration and test data they provided. Concerted efforts have been made internationally by laboratory accreditation experts to harmonize assessment activities through the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Accreditation involves the assessment of the systems and methods used by a laboratory to ensure that it is competent to perform specific tests or calibrations.