The acronym refers to the international standards developed and published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) . These standards serve as the essential technical foundation for the global trade of electrical and electronic goods, ensuring that products are safe, efficient, and interoperable across different countries.

By harmonizing technical specifications, IEC standards reduce technical barriers to trade. Instead of a manufacturer having to design ten different versions of a product for ten different countries, they can design to the IEC standard, which is often adopted directly or with minor variations by member countries. This reduces costs for manufacturers and prices for consumers.

: Published when the subject is still under technical development or when consensus for an International Standard cannot yet be reached.

IEC works closely with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to avoid overlap. While ISO focuses on general areas (e.g., quality management, environmental systems), IEC handles electrotechnology. A joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1, addresses information technology standards. At the regulatory level, many national standards are either identical or equivalent to IEC standards. For example, the European Union adopts IEC standards as EN (European Norms) through CENELEC, often with regional modifications. China, India, Brazil, and others have national policies encouraging direct adoption of IEC standards, recognizing their technical superiority and trade benefits.

The is the global authority for preparing and publishing international standards for all electrical, electronic, and related technologies, collectively known as "electrotechnology". Core IEC Publication Types