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| **[World Trade]{.smallcaps}**                    |                   |
|                                                  |                   |
| **[Organization]{.smallcaps}**                   |                   |
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|                                                  |                   |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
|                                                  | **                |
|                                                  | G/TBT/N/USA/183** |
|                                                  |                   |
|                                                  | 3 April 2006      |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
|                                                  | (06-1522)         |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
|                                                  |                   |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
| **Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade**     | Original: English |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+

NOTIFICATION

The following notification is being circulated in accordance with
Article 10.6.

+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Member to Agreement     |   |                                 |
| 1. | notifying:** [UNITED      |   |                                 |
| ** | STATES]{.underline}       |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | **If applicable, name of  |   |                                 |
|    | local government involved |   |                                 |
|    | (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):** |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Agency responsible:**   |   |                                 |
| 2. | Environmental Protection  |   |                                 |
| ** | Agency (EPA) (189)        |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | **Name and address        |   |                                 |
|    | (including telephone and  |   |                                 |
|    | fax numbers, e-mail and   |   |                                 |
|    | web-site addresses, if    |   |                                 |
|    | available) of** **agency  |   |                                 |
|    | or authority designated   |   |                                 |
|    | to handle comments        |   |                                 |
|    | regarding the             |   |                                 |
|    | notification shall be     |   |                                 |
|    | indicated if different    |   |                                 |
|    | from above:**             |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Notified under Article  |   |                                 |
| 3. | 2.9.2 \[** X **\], 2.10.1 |   |                                 |
| ** | \[ **  **\], 5.6.2        |   |                                 |
|    | \[ **  **\], 5.7.1        |   |                                 |
|    | \[ **  **\], other:**     |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Products covered (HS or |   |                                 |
| 4. | CCCN where applicable,    |   |                                 |
| ** | otherwise national tariff |   |                                 |
|    | heading.\                 |   |                                 |
|    | ICS numbers may be        |   |                                 |
|    | provided in addition,     |   |                                 |
|    | where applicable):**      |   |                                 |
|    | Motor vehicles and        |   |                                 |
|    | engines (HS: Chapter 8703 |   |                                 |
|    | ) (ICS: 43).              |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Title, number of pages  |   |                                 |
| 5. | and language(s) of the    |   |                                 |
| ** | notified document:**      |   |                                 |
|    | Control of Air Pollution  |   |                                 |
|    | from New Motor Vehicles:  |   |                                 |
|    | Amendments to the Tier 2  |   |                                 |
|    | Motor Vehicle Emission    |   |                                 |
|    | Regulations; Proposed     |   |                                 |
|    | Rule (4 pages, English).  |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Description of          |   |                                 |
| 6. | content:** EPA is         |   |                                 |
| ** | proposing to make minor   |   |                                 |
|    | amendments to the         |   |                                 |
|    | existing Tier 2 motor     |   |                                 |
|    | vehicle regulations (65   |   |                                 |
|    | FR 6698, 10 February      |   |                                 |
|    | 2000, hereinafter         |   |                                 |
|    | referred to as the Tier 2 |   |                                 |
|    | rule). These proposed     |   |                                 |
|    | minor amendments are      |   |                                 |
|    | consistent with our       |   |                                 |
|    | intention, under the      |   |                                 |
|    | original Tier 2 rule, to  |   |                                 |
|    | provide interim           |   |                                 |
|    | compliance flexibilities  |   |                                 |
|    | for clean diesels in the  |   |                                 |
|    | passenger car market.     |   |                                 |
|    | While the automotive      |   |                                 |
|    | industry has made rapid   |   |                                 |
|    | advancements in           |   |                                 |
|    | light-duty diesel         |   |                                 |
|    | emissions control         |   |                                 |
|    | technologies and will, as |   |                                 |
|    | a result, be able to      |   |                                 |
|    | produce diesel vehicles   |   |                                 |
|    | that can comply with the  |   |                                 |
|    | primary regulatory        |   |                                 |
|    | requirements of the Tier  |   |                                 |
|    | 2 program, diesel         |   |                                 |
|    | vehicles still face some  |   |                                 |
|    | very limited              |   |                                 |
|    | technological challenges  |   |                                 |
|    | in meeting the full suite |   |                                 |
|    | of Tier 2 requirements.   |   |                                 |
|    | This action would provide |   |                                 |
|    | two voluntary, interim    |   |                                 |
|    | alternative compliance    |   |                                 |
|    | options for a very        |   |                                 |
|    | limited set of standards  |   |                                 |
|    | for oxides of nitrogen    |   |                                 |
|    | (NOX), including only     |   |                                 |
|    | high altitude and high    |   |                                 |
|    | speed/high acceleration   |   |                                 |
|    | conditions. These         |   |                                 |
|    | temporary alternative     |   |                                 |
|    | compliance options are    |   |                                 |
|    | designed to be            |   |                                 |
|    | environmentally neutral,  |   |                                 |
|    | as manufacturers choosing |   |                                 |
|    | them would then be        |   |                                 |
|    | required to meet more     |   |                                 |
|    | stringent standards in    |   |                                 |
|    | other aspects of the Tier |   |                                 |
|    | 2 program. The            |   |                                 |
|    | alternative compliance    |   |                                 |
|    | options would last for    |   |                                 |
|    | only three model years,   |   |                                 |
|    | during which time         |   |                                 |
|    | advancements in diesel    |   |                                 |
|    | emissions control         |   |                                 |
|    | technologies would be     |   |                                 |
|    | further developed. In the |   |                                 |
|    | \"Rules and Regulations\" |   |                                 |
|    | section of this Federal   |   |                                 |
|    | Register, we are making   |   |                                 |
|    | these technical           |   |                                 |
|    | amendments as a direct    |   |                                 |
|    | final rule without prior  |   |                                 |
|    | proposal because we view  |   |                                 |
|    | these technical           |   |                                 |
|    | amendments as             |   |                                 |
|    | non-controversial         |   |                                 |
|    | revisions and anticipate  |   |                                 |
|    | no adverse comment. We    |   |                                 |
|    | have explained our        |   |                                 |
|    | reasons for these         |   |                                 |
|    | technical amendments in   |   |                                 |
|    | the preamble to the       |   |                                 |
|    | direct final rule. If we  |   |                                 |
|    | receive no adverse        |   |                                 |
|    | comment, we would not     |   |                                 |
|    | take further action on    |   |                                 |
|    | this proposed rule. If we |   |                                 |
|    | receive adverse comment,  |   |                                 |
|    | we would withdraw the     |   |                                 |
|    | portions of the direct    |   |                                 |
|    | final rule receiving such |   |                                 |
|    | comment and those         |   |                                 |
|    | portions would not take   |   |                                 |
|    | effect. We would address  |   |                                 |
|    | all public comments in a  |   |                                 |
|    | subsequent final rule     |   |                                 |
|    | based on this proposed    |   |                                 |
|    | rule. We would not        |   |                                 |
|    | institute a second        |   |                                 |
|    | comment period on this    |   |                                 |
|    | action. Any parties       |   |                                 |
|    | interested in commenting  |   |                                 |
|    | must do so at this time.  |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | The associated "direct    |   |                                 |
|    | final rule" full text is  |   |                                 |
|    | available online at URLs: |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | http://a257.g.akam        |   |                                 |
|    | aitech.net/7/257/2422/01j |   |                                 |
|    | an20061800/edocket.access |   |                                 |
|    | .gpo.gov/2006/06-2979.htm |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | http://a257.g.akamaite    |   |                                 |
|    | ch.net/7/257/2422/01jan20 |   |                                 |
|    | 061800/edocket.access.gpo |   |                                 |
|    | .gov/2006/pdf/06-2979.pdf |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Objective and           |   |                                 |
| 7. | rationale, including the  |   |                                 |
| ** | nature of urgent problems |   |                                 |
|    | where applicable:**       |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | Protection of the         |   |                                 |
|    | environment               |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Relevant documents:**   |   |                                 |
| 8. | 71 Federal Register (FR)  |   |                                 |
| ** | 16087, 30 March 2006;     |   |                                 |
|    | Title 40 Code of Federal  |   |                                 |
|    | Regulations (CFR) Part    |   |                                 |
|    | 86. Will appear in the    |   |                                 |
|    | Federal Register when     |   |                                 |
|    | adopted.                  |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Proposed date of        |   | To be determined                |
| 9. | adoption:**               |   |                                 |
| ** |                           |   |                                 |
|    | **Proposed date of entry  |   |                                 |
|    | into force:**             |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| *  | **Final date for          |   |                                 |
| *1 | comments:** 1 May 2006    |   |                                 |
| 0. |                           |   |                                 |
| ** |                           |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| *  | **Texts available from:   |   |                                 |
| *1 | National enquiry point    |   |                                 |
| 1. | \[** X **\] or address,   |   |                                 |
| ** | telephone and fax         |   |                                 |
|    | numbers, e-mail and       |   |                                 |
|    | web-site addresses, if    |   |                                 |
|    | available of the other    |   |                                 |
|    | body:**                   |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | Full Texts are Now        |   |                                 |
|    | Available on the Internet |   |                                 |
|    | at URLs:                  |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | http://a257.g.akam        |   |                                 |
|    | aitech.net/7/257/2422/01j |   |                                 |
|    | an20061800/edocket.access |   |                                 |
|    | .gpo.gov/2006/06-2980.htm |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | http://a257.g.akamaite    |   |                                 |
|    | ch.net/7/257/2422/01jan20 |   |                                 |
|    | 061800/edocket.access.gpo |   |                                 |
|    | .gov/2006/pdf/06-2980.pdf |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+