To the several LAME's who may have taken offense at my previous comments, I hold your trade in the highest regard. Personally I have no real complaints about any of the work I have received, or any of any of the bills relating to the said work that I have paid, and that is all of them.
Back to the subject of SIDS, whether they are mandatory in other countries or not, my observation is that they are required. Seemingly good looking Cessnas, when thoroughly inspected are nothing more than a heap of corroded metal gathered together by rivets and paint. Cessna, in this instance know what they are talking about.
I feel for some Cessna owners, their pride and joy has had its value reduced to nothing more than the second hand value of the viable parts. Looking through the Aviation Trader, I see Cessna aircraft with SIDS completed are for sale at around the value they they sold for prior to the term being coined. I also see Cessna aircraft being advertised with the rather dubious "SIDS compliant" label, which suggests to me that the owner is of the opinion that the aircraft will pass these inspections. I also see bargain basement prices for aircraft that would have fetched double or even triple the asking price a few years ago, that may or may not pass a through SIDS program.
Very little lasts forever, certainly not Cessna aircraft. Certainly I am glad I sold mine some time before SIDS were invented and purchased a machine built this century, but even it has had corrosion and age issues.
Buy a pre SIDS Cessna at your peril. A post SIDS Cessna may last another couple of decades or so if the work was done correctly and the aircraft is hangared.