The Importance of ISO 9001 on Developing Countries with Reference to International Trade: A Review

Objective: Increasingly fierce competition in international trade has left firms in developing nations in "do or die" situations. Amongst the various reasons developing countries face business setbacks in the global village, the ability to affirm quality products/services stands out. However, considering that ISO 9001 standard has been developed in order to enhance international trade, this paper aims to provide a quick holistic glance on empirical research related to ISO 9001 and international trade of developing countries. Methodology: Empirical studies from the year 2000 till date, related to ISO 9001 and International trade were considered. Findings from these studies were summarized. Findings: The review discerned scarce up to date empirical papers on the subject matter. Findings from 11 empirical studies from the year 2003 to 2015 were summarized and the latter were concentrated in the direction that ISO 9001 certification enhances bilateral trade, mostly exports, especially for developing countries. ISO 9001 acting as a trade barrier was found to hold true for the minority. Given that worldwide trade is an ever evolving and dynamic sphere, future studies have to continuously revolve on the impact of ISO 9001 on international trade of developing countries specifically. Applications: The study presented in this paper can be used to analyze the impact of ISO 9001 standard worldwide.