Making Private Standards Work for You: A guide to private standards in the garments, footwear and furniture sectors

Global brand producers and retailers increasingly require their suppliers from developing countries to comply with certain social, environmental and safety norms. These norms are increasingly referred to as ‘private standards’. Compliance should, of course, not be a major problem for developing country producers when national laws and regulations already incorporate these standards. However, private standards im-posed by producers of global brands and retailers may also go beyond national and local laws, and/or contain further conditions related, for example, to health and safety issues. A proactive strategy on the part of local manufacturers will make it easier for them to cope with such standards and will also lead to significant benefits, including competi-tive advantages, improved efficiency and, ultimately, more exporting opportunities.

This guide aims to provide producers in the footwear, garments and furniture sectors with some insights into the landscape of private standards and with guidance for turning private standards to their advantage. The information presented here is based on questionnaires and interviews with a sample of exporting companies from the footwear sector in India, the textiles and garments sector in Turkey, and the furniture sector in Brazil.