International standards: their increased importance to the United States.

The recent approval of the Multilateral Trade Negotiations Standards Code and subsequent U.S. Trade Agreements Act of 1979 have caused international standards to assume an increasingly important role in many countries. A review of these recent initiatives, and an explanation of how they will impact on the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, are presented here so that pathologists will understand the developments that are taking place on the national and international scenes.