G/TBT/N/USA/2109  
4 April 2024  
(24-2887) 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:   
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC)  
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 ind icated if different 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 [  ], 3.2 [  ], 7.2 [  ], 
other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Whole live 
lobster of the species Homarus americanus  - Lobsters "Homarus spp.", whether in shell 
or not, live, fresh or chilled (HS code(s): 030632); Fish and fishery products (ICS code(s): 
67.120.30)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Draft Addendum 
XXX to Amendment 3 to t he Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster 
for Public Comment; (7 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  The current minimum size requirement for Lobster 
Conservation Management Area (LCMA) 1 of 3 1/4 inches (82.5 mm), is the smal lest 
minimum size in effect for the U.S. lobster fishery. Addendum XXVII to Amendment 3 to 
the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Lobster, approved in May 2023, 
triggered changes to the current minimum size for lobsters caught in LCMA 1 (insho re 
Gulf of Maine) as of 16 October 2023. Therefore, a series of gradual changes to minimum 
size for lobsters caught in LCMA 1 will begin 1 January 2025, starting with an increase to 
the minimum size in LCMA 1 from 3 1/4 inches (82.5 mm) to 3 5/16 inches (8 4 mm) and 
to 3 3/8 inches (86 mm) on 1 January 2027. These increased minimum sizes will be the 
smallest minimum size in effect for American lobster harvested in the United States under 
the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American lobster. Draft Adde ndum XXX 
considers whether to apply the Addendum XXVII minimum size increase recommendation 
to possession of American lobster, which, under U.S. law, would mean that the smallest 
minimum size for imports would match the smallest minimum size in effect for American 
lobster harvested in the United States. Two public hearings have been scheduled to gather 
input on Draft Addendum XXX to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management 
Plan for American Lobster. One general hearing will be conducted via webinar on 9 April 
2024, and one hearing will be conducted in a hybrid format on 6 May 2024. Regardless 
of where the hybrid hearing is being conducted, all are welcome to participate in either 
the virtual or hybrid hearing.  G/TBT/N/USA/2109  
 
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  7. Objective and rationale, including t he nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of animal or plant life or health; Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents:   
ASMFC News Release includes information about the public hearings, which will be 
conducted via webinar on 9 April 2024, and in a hybrid format on 6 May 2024:  
https://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file/65fc8f3epr08AmLobsterDraftAddXXX_PublicComme
nt.pdf  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  3 June 2024; WTO Members and their stakeholders are asked 
to submit comments to the USA TBT Enquiry Point via e -mail: usatbtep@nist.gov . 
Comments received by the USA TBT Enquiry Poin t from WTO Members and their 
stakeholders by 4pm Eastern Time ( https://24timezones.com/time -zone/et ) on 3 June 
2024 will be shared with ASMFC.  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
https://asmfc.org/files/PublicInput/AmLobsterDraftAddendumXXX_PublicComment.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2024/TBT/USA/24_02422_00_e.pdf