G/SPS/N/USA/3415  
31 August 2023  
(23-5846) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Environmental Protection Agency  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  All commodities  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Phenol; Revoking Exemption From the Requirement of a 
Pesticide Tolerance. Proposed Rule . Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  4 
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2023-08-22/html/2023 -18050.htm  
6. Description of content:  EPA is proposing to revoke the tolerance exemption for residues 
of the antimicrobial pesticide ingredient phenol when used as an inert ingredient 
(solvent/cosolvent) in pesticide formulations applied to growing crops. This rulemaking is 
proposed on the Agency's own initiative under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act 
(FFDCA) to implement a tolerance action the Agency determined was appropriate during 
the registration review conducted under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) for phenol. EPA is proposing t o revoke this tolerance exemption 
because it corresponds to a use no longer current or registered under FIFRA in the 
United  States.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] Worl d Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   G/SPS/N/USA/3415  
 
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  9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR -2022-title40 -vol26/CFR -2022-title40 -vol26 -
sec180 -920 (available in English)  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [X]  Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) :  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 23 October 2023  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] Nationa l Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Anita Pease, Antimicrobials Division (7508P), Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental 
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460 -0001; Tel: +(202) 
566 0736; E -mail: pease.anita@epa.gov  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [  ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2023-08-22/html/2023 -18050.htm