Paraguay - Country Commercial Guide
Standards for Trade

Describes standards, identifies the national standards, accreditation bodies, and lists the national testing organization(s) and conformity assessment bodies.

Last published date: 2022-10-17

Overview 

The standards regime in Paraguay includes obligatory and voluntary standards. Public and private conformity assessment bodies operate in the country. 

The National Institute of Technology, Standardization and Measurement (INTN) is the government organization in charge of developing Paraguay’s standards regime. 

Standards affecting meat and by-products are handled by the National Animal Quality and Health Service (SENACSA) and those affecting agricultural chemicals are handled by the National Seed and Vegetable Quality and Sanitation Service (SENAVE), both bureaus under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. 

Specific standards relating to health matters and foodstuffs fall under the scope of the Ministry of Public Health, through the National Health Vigilance Directorate (DINAVISA) or the National Institute of Food and Nutrition (INAN).   

The Consumer Protection Directorate, under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, controls standards on labeling and marking.  Legislation may be found in the linked reference site for Paraguayan laws.   

The listed government institutions all act as conformity assessment bodies in their respective fields.  Private firms acting as conformity assessment companies in Paraguay are SGS, Lloyds, and TÜV.Standards 

The Mercosur Standards Association (Asociacion Mercosur de Normalizacion - AMN) is composed of the standards institutes of Mercosur Member States, which work together to establish Mercosur-wide standards. 

Asociación Mercosur de Normalización (AMN)  

Av. Paulista, 726 
10º andar – cj. 1001 
CEP: 01310-910 
São Paulo – SP – Brasil 
Tel: 55 11 3283-5276 
Fax: 55 11 3285-6115 
Fax: 55 11 3285-2074 
secretaria@amn.org.br 
https://www.amn.org.br/ 

The following is a list of Paraguayan government bodies responsible for developing domestic standards: 

·        National Institute of Technology, Standardization and Measurement (INTN)  

·        National Animal Quality and Health Service (SENACSA)  

·        National Seed and Vegetable Quality and Sanitation Service (SENAVE)  

·        National of Food and Nutrition Institute (INAN)  

·        Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Consumer Protection Directorate 

·        National Health Vigilance Directorate (DINAVISA) 

Conformity Assessment 

A conformity assessment includes all activities needed to demonstrate compliance with specified requirements relating to a technical regulation or voluntary standard.  Conformity assessments can include test and calibration laboratories, product certification bodies, accreditation bodies, inspection and verification units, quality system registrars, and others.   

The following are the main national testing organization(s) and conformity assessment bodies. 

·        National Institute of Technology, Standardization and Measurement (INTN)  

·        National Animal Quality and Health Service (SENACSA)  

·        National Seed and Vegetable Quality and Sanitation Service (SENAVE)  

·        National of Food and Nutrition Institute (INAN)  

·        Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Consumer Protection Directorate 

·        National Health Vigilance Directorate (DINAVISA) 

Product Certification 

Product certification is regulated by the ISO standards.  Paraguay has no mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) with U.S. organizations. 

Accreditation 

The local accreditation body is the National Accreditation Organism (ONA) under the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT).  

Publication of Technical Regulations 

The National System of Information and Notifications (Sistema Nacional de Informacion y Notificacion Sobre Reglamentos Tecnicos, Normas y Procedimientos de Evaluacion de la Conformidad - SNIN), under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, acts as a data bank for all standards-related matters (e.g. proposals, comments/input, approvals).   
Final regulations are published in the government’s Official Gazette (http://www.gacetaoficial.gov.py/)   Each organization submits final regulations to the Ministry of Foreign Relations, which submits them to the World Trade Organization. 

Use ePing to review proposed technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures  

The ePing SPS&TBT platform (https://epingalert.org/), or “ePing”, provides access to notifications made by WTO Members under the Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), distributed by the WTO from January 16, 1995 to present.  ePing is available to all stakeholders free of charge and does not require registration unless the user wishes to receive customized e-mail alerts.  Use it to browse notifications on past as well as new draft and updated product regulations, food safety and animal and plant health standards and regulations, find information on trade concerns discussed in the WTO SPS and TBT Committees, locate information on SPS/TBT Enquiry Points and notification authorities, and to follow and review current and past notifications concerning regulatory actions on products, packaging, labeling, food safety and animal and plant health measures in markets of interest.  

Notify U.S., operated and maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) since 2003 to distribute and provide access to notifications (and associated draft texts) made under the WTO TBT Agreement for US stakeholders, has reached its end of life.  Per obligation under the TBT Agreement, each WTO Member operates a national TBT (and an SPS) Enquiry Point.   National TBT Enquiry Points are authorized to accept comments and official communications from other national TBT Enquiry Points, which are NOT part of the WTO or the WTO Secretariat.  All comment submissions from U.S. stakeholders, including businesses, trade associations, U.S domiciled standards development organizations and conformity assessment bodies, consumers, or U.S. government agencies on notifications to the WTO TBT Committee should be sent directly to the USA WTO TBT Inquiry Point.  Refer to the comment guidance at https://tsapps.nist.gov/notifyus/data/guidance/guidance.cfm for further information.    

Contact Information 

              Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia, Normalizacion y Metrologia (INTN) 

              Av. Artigas y Roa 

              Asuncion, Paraguay 

              Ph:  (595-21) 290266, 290160 

              Fx:  (595-21) 290873 

              E-mail:  intn@intn.gov.py 

              Web:  www.intn.gov.py 

 

              Servicio Nacional de Calidad y Salud Animal (SENACSA) 

              Ruta Mariscal Estigarribia, Km 10½ 

              San Lorenzo, Paraguay 

              Ph:  (595-21) 501374, 507862 

              Fx:  (595-21) 507863 

 

              Servicio Nacional de Calidad y Sanidad Vegetal y de Semillas (SENAVE) 

              Edificio Planeta I, Piso 15 

              Calle Humaitá 145 

              Asuncion, Paraguay 

              Ph. & Fax:  (595-21) 445769, 441549, 441491 

              E-mail:  consultas@senave.gov.py 

              Web:  www.senave.gov.py 

 

              Instituto Nacional de Alimentación y Nutrición (INAN) 

              Av. Santísima Trinidad e Itapua 

              Asuncion, Paraguay 

              Ph & Fax:  (595-21) 206874 

              E-mail:  direccion@inan.gov.py 

              Web:  www.inan.gov.py 

 

              Dirección General de Defensa del Consumidor 

              Ministerio de Industria y Comercio 

              Av. Mariscal López 3333, Piso 1 

              Asuncion, Paraguay 

              Ph: (595-21) 661662 

              Fax: (595-21) 616-3058 

              E-mail:  consultas@mic.gov.py  

              Web:  www.mic.gov.py 

 

              Asociación Mercosur de Normalización 

              Av. Paulista, 726 - 10º andar - cj. 1001 

              CEP 01310-910  Sao Paulo, SP, Brasil 

              Ph & Fax:  (55-11) 3283-5276, 3285-6115, 3285-2074 

              Web:  www.amn.org.br 

     

              Organismo Nacional de Acreditación (ONA) 

              Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) 

              Calle Prócer M. Molas 122, Piso 1 

              Asuncion, Paraguay 

              Ph & Fx:  (595-21) 664952, 664953, 665096 

              E-mail:  aviveros@conacyt.gov.py 

              Web:   www.conacyt.gov.py 

 

             Sistema Nacional de Información y Notificación (SNIN) 

             Ministerio de Industria y Comercio 

             Av. Mariscal Lopez 3333, Piso 1 

             Asuncion, Paraguay 

             Ph: (595-21) 616-3085, 616-3284, 616-3288 

             Fax: (595-21) 616-3084 

             E-mail:  aromero@mic.gov.py 

             Web:  www.snin.gov.py 

                                                                                                                                          

              Gaceta Oficial 

              Dirección de Publicaciones Oficiales 

              Gabinete Civil de la Presidencia de la Republica 

              Av. Stella Maris y Hernandarias 

              Asuncion, Paraguay 
                              Ph:  (595-21) 493-907, 498-311 
                              Fx:  (595-21) 497-855 
                              E-mail: info@gacetaoficial.gov.py 

             Web:  http://www.gacetaoficial.gov.py/