Equivalence is a term applied by the Uruguay Round Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. WTO Member countries shall accord acceptance to the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures of other countries (even if those measures differ from their own or from those used by other Member countries trading in the same product) if the exporting country demonstrates to the importing country that its measures achieve the importer’s appropriate level of sanitary and phytosanitary protection.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Congressional Research Service document "Report for Congress: Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, 2005 Edition" by Jasper Womach.