A surge in global standards governing everything from food labelling to digital networks is tightening non-tariff barriers and threatening the export prospects of African economies, the World Bank has warned.
In its World Development Report 2025: Standards for Development, the Bank said developing countries were steadily losing influence in shaping the rules that now govern global trade, even as those rules become increasingly decisive for market access.
According to the report, non-tariff measures including pesticide residue limits, certification requirements and packaging rules now affect about 90 percent of global trade, up sharply from just 15 percent in the late 1990s.
The Bank noted that these requirements increasingly function as “gatekeepers” to export markets, with poorer countries often struggling to meet them or influence how they are designed.
The report describes standards as “foundational economic infrastructure,” arguing that they have become as essential to growth as transport systems.
It cited the global adoption of the shipping container as an example, noting that it did more to expand manufactured trade than decades of negotiated trade agreements.
Similar gains could emerge in digital trade if standards are properly aligned, the Bank said.
The World Bank’s Chief Economist, Mr Indermit Gill, said the growing influence of standards was rarely acknowledged but deeply consequential for market access.
“Standards are both central and unsung today. When they work well, they create predictability and efficiency across markets,” he said, adding that international standards are now critical enablers of sustainable and inclusive development.
Mr Gill noted that digital standards could unlock new pathways for services trade, but only if developing countries actively participate in shaping them.
The report found that African countries and other developing economies participate in less than one-third of the technical committees at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), where global standards are set. Limited technical capacity and underfunded national standards bodies were cited as key constraints.
The Secretary-General of ISO, Mr Sergio Mujica, said the rapid pace at which new standards are being developed highlighted the urgency of broadening global participation.
He noted that more than half of ISO’s 20,000 standards had been issued since 2000.
The report warned that unless developing countries strengthen their standards systems, exporters risk being squeezed out of high-value markets. In agriculture, manufacturing and digital services, all key sectors for African growth, compliance costs and the complexity of certification processes are rising.
To address this, the World Bank proposed an “adapt-align-author” framework. At early stages of development, countries should focus on building basic standards capacity.
As capabilities grow, they should adapt international standards to local needs rather than simply copying the most stringent rules.
At more advanced stages, countries can help author global standards that shape international markets.
The study cited Japan’s post-war experience as evidence that standards can drive industrial transformation. The country moved from producing low-quality exports to becoming a leader in precision manufacturing through widespread adoption of Total Quality Management and strong institutional capacity.
Xavier Giné, a Director at the World Bank, said the world’s most successful economies treat standards not just as technical rules, but as strategic tools for innovation and competitiveness.
“Standards are the institutional foundation for global competitiveness,” he said, adding that countries which integrate standardisation into development planning are better positioned to move up the value chain.
For African exporters, the report said the implications are clear, as global standards multiply, the cost of non-compliance will continue to rise, increasing the risk of exclusion from emerging trade and technology opportunities.
