U.S. Standards System: ANSI (Private Sector)
ANSI was founded in 1918 as a public-private partnership by three government agencies and five private-sector organizations. A private, non-profit organization (501 (c) 3), ANSI serves as the coordinator of the U.S. voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment system. ANSI’s mission is to enhance both the global competitiveness of U.S. business and the U.S. quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems, and safeguarding their integrity.
ANSI: A Solutions Provider
Domestically, ANSI’s responsibilities include coordinating the development of and promoting U.S.
policies and positions on private-sector standards
and conformity assessment, coordinating the development and revision of the
U.S. Standards Strategy, accrediting SDOs and designating American National
Standards (ANS), accrediting conformity assessment bodies, and providing
Standards and Conformity Assessment solutions. Internationally, ANSI represents
the United States in non-treaty, international,
regional and bilateral standards and conformity assessment fora, including the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO), the International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the Pacific Area Standards Congress (PASC), the Pan American
Standards Commission (COPANT), and with other fora including the European
Standards Organizations (ESOs) as well as to other
regional and sub-regional standards organizations around the world.
Learn more about ANSI’s international activities.
With the acceleration of globalization, ANSI is focused on delivering private-sector standards and conformity assessment solutions that facilitate trade and economic development while protecting the environment, health and safety of citizens in the U.S. and internationally.
View frequently asked questions about ANSI.
More Information
The role of standards developing organizations (SDOs) and consortia.
