+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
| **[World Trade]{.smallcaps}**                    |                   |
|                                                  |                   |
| **[Organization]{.smallcaps}**                   |                   |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
|                                                  |                   |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
|                                                  | *                 |
|                                                  | *G/TBT/N/USA/92** |
|                                                  |                   |
|                                                  | 20 December 2004  |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
|                                                  | (04-5600)         |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
|                                                  |                   |
+--------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
| **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. | Department of             |   |                                 |
| ** | Transportation/National   |   |                                 |
|    | Highway Traffic Safety    |   |                                 |
|    | Administration (NHTSA)    |   |                                 |
|    | (97)                      |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | **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 Vehicle door locks  |   |                                 |
|    | and retention components. |   |                                 |
|    | (HS 8703) (ICS 43.040)    |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Title, number of pages  |   |                                 |
| 5. | and language(s) of the    |   |                                 |
| ** | notified document:**      |   |                                 |
|    | Federal Motor Vehicle     |   |                                 |
|    | Safety Standards; Door    |   |                                 |
|    | Locks and Door Retention  |   |                                 |
|    | Components and Side       |   |                                 |
|    | Impact Protection (22     |   |                                 |
|    | Pages, in English)        |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Description of          |   |                                 |
| 6. | content:** We are         |   |                                 |
| ** | proposing to amend        |   |                                 |
|    | Federal Motor Vehicle     |   |                                 |
|    | Safety Standard (FMVSS)   |   |                                 |
|    | No. 206, Door locks and   |   |                                 |
|    | door retention            |   |                                 |
|    | components, in order to   |   |                                 |
|    | add and update            |   |                                 |
|    | requirements and test     |   |                                 |
|    | procedures and to         |   |                                 |
|    | harmonize with the        |   |                                 |
|    | world\'s first global     |   |                                 |
|    | technical regulation for  |   |                                 |
|    | motor vehicles. If        |   |                                 |
|    | adopted, today\'s         |   |                                 |
|    | proposal would add test   |   |                                 |
|    | requirements and test     |   |                                 |
|    | procedures for sliding    |   |                                 |
|    | doors, add secondary      |   |                                 |
|    | latched position          |   |                                 |
|    | requirements for doors    |   |                                 |
|    | other than hinged side    |   |                                 |
|    | doors and back doors,     |   |                                 |
|    | provide a new test        |   |                                 |
|    | procedure for assessing   |   |                                 |
|    | inertial forces, and      |   |                                 |
|    | extend the application of |   |                                 |
|    | FMVSS No. 206 to buses    |   |                                 |
|    | with a Gross Vehicle      |   |                                 |
|    | Weight Rating (GVWR) of   |   |                                 |
|    | less than 10,000 pounds,  |   |                                 |
|    | including 12-15 passenger |   |                                 |
|    | vans.                     |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Objective and           |   |                                 |
| 7. | rationale, including the  |   |                                 |
| ** | nature of urgent problems |   |                                 |
|    | where applicable:**       |   |                                 |
|    | Protection of Human Life  |   |                                 |
|    | and Health.               |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| ** | **Relevant documents:**   |   |                                 |
| 8. | 69 Federal Register (FR)  |   |                                 |
| ** | 75020 15 December 2004;   |   |                                 |
|    | Title 49 Code of Federal  |   |                                 |
|    | Regulations (CFR) Part    |   |                                 |
|    | 571. 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:** 14 February   |   |                                 |
| 0. | 2005                      |   |                                 |
| ** |                           |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+
| *  | **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 text may be found  |   |                                 |
|    | at the following Internet |   |                                 |
|    | URLs:**                   |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | <http://a257.g.akamai     |   |                                 |
|    | tech.net/7/257/2422/06jun |   |                                 |
|    | 20041800/edocket.access.g |   |                                 |
|    | po.gov/2004/04-27215.htm> |   |                                 |
|    |                           |   |                                 |
|    | <http://a257.g.akamaitech |   |                                 |
|    | .net/7/257/2422/06jun2004 |   |                                 |
|    | 1800/edocket.access.gpo.g |   |                                 |
|    | ov/2004/pdf/04-27215.pdf> |   |                                 |
+----+---------------------------+---+---------------------------------+