G/TBT/N/USA/116/Rev.1  
 
12 August 2020  
(20-5523) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
Revision  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.  
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if diff erent from above:   
Please submit comments to: USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point, Email: usatbtep@nist.gov   
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):  Ozone -
depleting substances; Prepared binders for foundry moulds or cores; chemical products 
and preparations for the chemical or allied in dustries, incl. mixtures of natural products, 
n.e.s (HS 3824); Environmental protection (ICS 13.020), Production in the chemical 
industry (ICS 71.020), Products of the chemical industry (ICS 71.100)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notifie d document:  Protection of 
Stratospheric Ozone: Extension of the Laboratory and Analytical Use Exemption for 
Essential Class I Ozone -Depleting Substances4 (4 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Proposed rule - The Environmental Protection Agenc y (EPA) is 
proposing to revise regulations governing the production and import of class I ozone -
depleting substances in the United States to extend indefinitely the global essential 
laboratory and analytical use exemption. This exemption currently expires on 31 
December 2021. This change would allow for continued production and import of class I 
substances in the United States solely for laboratory and analytical uses that have not 
been identified by the EPA as nonessential. This action is proposed under th e Clean Air 
Act and is consistent with a decision by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances 
that Deplete the Ozone Layer to extend the global laboratory and analytical use exemption 
indefinitely beyond 2021.  
7. Objective and rationale, includi ng the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of human health or safety; Protection of animal or plant life or 
health; Protection of the environment   G/TBT/N/USA/116/Rev.1  
 
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  8. Relevant documents:   
• 85 Federal Register (FR) 47940, 7 August 2020; Title 40 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) Part 82:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2020-08-07/html/2020 -16255.htm   
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2020-08-07/pdf/2020 -16255.pdf  
• G/TBT/N/USA/116  - Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Extens ion of Global 
Laboratory and Analytical Use Exemption for Essential Class I Ozone Depleting 
Substances; Proposed Rule published 13 May 2005:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2005-05-13/html/05 -9589.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2005-05-13/pdf/05 -9589.pdf  
• The proposed rule notified as  G/TBT/N/USA/116  is identified by Docket Number 
EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0064.  The Docket Folder is available on Regulations.gov  at 
https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EPA -HQ-OAR-2004-0064, and provid es 
access to primary and supporting documents as well as comments received. 
Documents are also accessible from Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket 
Number.  
WTO Members and their stakeholders are ask ed to submit comments to the USA TBT 
Enquiry Point  by or before 6 October 2020 on the 7 August 2020 proposed rule to revise 
regulations governing the production and import of class I ozone -depleting subs tances in 
the United States.  Comments received by the USA TBT Enquiry Point from WTO Members 
and their stakeholders will be shared with the regulator and will also be submitted to the 
Docket  (identified by Docket ID No. EPA -HQ-OAR-2020-0084) on Regulations.gov  if 
received within the comment period.  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  6 October 2020  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone or fax 
numbers  and email and website address es, if available , of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/TBT/USA/20_4798_00_e.pdf