Why Standards?

In China, in 2200 BC, the Emperor Qin Shihuangdi produced common technical standards for the wheels of transport waggons, the width of the city gates, the dimensions of the streets, for measures of length and weight and for water pipes, weapons and armour. A 'war on standards' can happen when someone has an interest in avoiding standards in certain technical fields. The framework for standardization in Europe is given by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its rules for trade without technical barriers. Standardization in America differs from Europe on one key point: there are many standardization organizations providing standards at a local or regional level or in technical branch. The electrical network in the United States is one of the largest in the world and so is the standardization structure and organization. The responsibility for standardization on the government side is linked to the department of commerce (DoC).