According to GB/T 20000.1—2014 "Standardization Work Guidelines - Part 1: General Terms for Standardization and Related Activities," national standards are defined as "standards that are adopted and publicly issued by national standardization bodies." National standards, once issued, are applicable within the scope of a particular country.

In China, national standards refer to the Chinese National Standards (GB, GB/T) issued by the Standardization Administration of China (SAC).

Internationally recognized and influential national standardization bodies include:

British Standards Institution (BSI)

Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN)

Association Française de Normalisation (AFNOR)

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

Standards Council of Canada (SCC)

Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC)

Gosudarstvennyy Standart Rossii(GOST R)

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas (ABNT)