G/TBT/N/USA/1717  
13 April 2021  
(21-3032) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
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 (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (OEERE), 
Department of Energy (DOE) [1746]  
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 different from above:   
Please submit comments to: USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point, Email: usatbtep@nist.gov  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [   ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other  [X]:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  
Environmental protection (ICS 13.020), Test conditions and procedures in general 
(ICS 19.020), Domestic electrical appliances in general (ICS 97.030)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Energy 
Conservation Program for Appl iance Standards: Procedures, Interpretations, and Policies 
for Consideration in New or Revised Energy Conservation Standards and Test Procedures 
for Consumer Products and Commercial/Industrial Equipment (21 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comment - The 
U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE" or the "Department") proposes to revise the 
Department's "Procedures, Interpretations, and Policies for Consideration of New or 
Revised Energy Conservation Standar ds and Test Procedures for Consumer Products and 
Certain Commercial/Industrial Equipment" ("Process Rule"), revising the process the 
Department follows to develop energy conservation standards and test procedures for 
covered products and equipment. The pro posed revisions are consistent with longstanding 
DOE practice and would remove unnecessary obstacles to DOE's ability to meet its 
statutory obligations under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act ("EPCA").  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature  of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents:   
• 86 Federal Register (FR) 18901, 12 April 2021; Title 10 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) Part 430:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2021-04-12/html/2021 -06853.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2021-04-12/pdf/2021 -06853.pdf  G/TBT/N/USA/1717  
 
- 2 - 
 
  This notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comment is identified by Docket 
Number EERE -2021-BT-STD-0003. The Docket Folder is available on Regulations.gov  at 
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE -2021-BT-STD-0003/document  and provides 
access to primary documents as well as com ments received. Documents are also 
accessible from Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number. WTO Members and 
their stakeholders are asked to submit comments to the USA TBT Enquiry Point . 
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  
on Regulations.gov  if received within the comment period.  
G/TBT/N/ USA/1441 and subsequent addenda  - Energy Conservation Program for 
Appliance Standards: Proposed Procedures for Use in New or Revised Energy 
Conservation Standards and Test Procedures for Consumer Products and 
Commercial/Industrial Equipment  
Related actions  notified under the symbol G/TBT/N/USA/1441  are identified by Docket 
Numbers EERE -2017-BT-STD-0062 and EERE -2020-BT-STD-0004. The Docket Folders 
are available on Regulations.gov  at https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE -2017-BT-
STD-0062/document  and https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE -2020-BT-STD-
0004/doc ument  and provide access to primary and supporting documents as well as 
comments received. Documents are also accessible from Regulations.gov  by searching 
the Docket Numbers individually.  
9. Proposed date of adop tion: To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  27 May 2021  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2021/TBT/USA/21_2633_00_e.pdf