The St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards (SKNBS) is the main government agency responsible for standards, metrology, and conformity assessment services since its establishment in 1999.

As part of the transformation process undertaken by the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis in 2005, after the closure of the nation’s sugar industry, a National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) was formulated to outline the strategies for economic diversification and social development.

To this end, the role of the SKNBS has expanded and forms a critical component in the advancement of the economy of St. Kitts and Nevis, specifically vis-à-vis the facilitation of international trade. With the establishment of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), the SKNBS activities now include increased participation at the regional level where it participates in the harmonization of standards, measurements, and conformity assessment regimes for regional integration.

The SKNBS houses St. Kitts and Nevis’ national multipurpose laboratory which provides the following services:

• Chemistry – Analysis of elements in food, liquids, and soil nutrients and constituents.
• Metrology – Provision of accurate measurements through calibration and verification of scales, balances and fuel pumps.

• Microbiology – Provision of a full complement of microbiological services to monitor restaurants and food processing outlets according to the Food Compliance Programme.
• Air Quality – Monitoring of mould and gases indoors

National Enquiry Point (NEP)

St. Kitts and Nevis has been a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 21 February 1996 and a member of The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) since 24 March 1994.

According to Article 10 of the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement, each member must put in place an Enquiry Point that is able to answer reasonable inquiries from other members, including on any adopted or proposed technical regulations, standards, and conformity assessment procedures.

Services rendered by the NEP:

• Receive and disseminate WTO/TBT notifications from the WTO Secretariat to stakeholders in St. Kitts and Nevis
• Send notifications of proposed St. Kitts and Nevis technical regulations and conformity procedures to WTO/TBT Secretariat
• Respond to requests for information from WTO members regarding any St. Kitts and Nevis national standards, technical regulations, and conformity assessment procedures
• Responding to requests for information from the private sector in St. Kitts and Nevis on regional and international standards, technical regulations, and conformity assessment procedures.

The SKNBS is also the official contact point for:

• IAEA for Radiation Matters and Safety
• Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
• Codex Alimentarius
• International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) [emergency contact]
• Pan American Standards Commission (COPANT)
• Minamata Convention
• Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)
• CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ)
• FAO GM Foods Platform
• American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
• Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)
• Underwriters Laboratories