./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.99.153
12 April 1999
(99-1447)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (12)
Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be
indicated if different from above:           
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):
Motor Vehicles (HS Chapter 8703)
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Importation of Vehicles
and Equipment Subject to Federal Safety;  Bumper, and Theft Prevention Standards
(English, 6 pages)
6. Description of content:  This document pr oposes to amend the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration 's importation regulations to implement a recent statutory amendment
that adds "show or display" to the special limited purposes for which vehicles or equipment
items may be imported without having to comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards (FMVSS).  Under the proposed amendments, a person who wants to import avehicle or equipment item for "show or display" would have to persuade the administration
that the vehicle or equipment item is of such historical or technological significance that it is
worthy of being shown or displayed in this country even though it would be difficult or
impossible to be brought into compliance with the FMVSS.  The Administration proposes
to allow limited use on the public roads of vehicles imported for "show or display".  Before
entry, an importer would describe the intended on-road use of the vehicle and affirm that the
vehicle would not be used on the public roads for more than 500 miles in any 12-monthperiod.  The importer would be required to provide an annual mileage statement to the
agency during the first five years after entry.  Pursuant to the recent statutory amendment,
owners of vehicles already imported into the United States under other exemptions are
allowed to apply for a change in the terms and conditions under which their vehicles were
permitted to be imported.  The opportunity to apply for such a change is statutorily limitedto the period of six months after the effective date of the final rule.
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:  To
accommodate primarily individuals wishing to import an example of a make or model of a
vehicle which its manufacturer never sold in the United States and which therefore has no
counterpart that was certified to conform to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.G/TBT/Notif.99.153
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8. Relevant documents:  64 FR 13757, 22 March 1999;  49 CFR Part 591.  Will appear in the
Federal Register when adopted.
9. Proposed date of adoption:  The final rule would be effective 45 days after its publication in
the Federal Register.
Proposed date of entry into force:
10. Final date for comments:  6 May 1999
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X ] or address, e-mail and telefax number of
the other body:  http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html