G/TBT/N/USA/1981  
11 April 2023  
(23-2550) 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:   
United States Coast Guard (USCG), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) [2012]  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding th e 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 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [X], 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):  Lifejackets 
and personal flotation devices; Quality (ICS code(s): 03.120); Lifejackets, buoyancy aids 
and flotation devices (ICS code(s): 13.340.70); Test conditions and procedures in general 
(ICS code(s): 19.020)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Lifejacket 
Approval Harmonization; (43 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Notice of proposed rulemaking - The Coast Guard proposes to 
amend the approval requirements and follow -up program requirements for lifejackets by 
incorporating new standards to replace existing legacy standards. The Coast Guard 
further proposes to amend lifejacket and personal flotation device (PFD) carriage 
requirements to allow for the use of equipment approved to the new standards and 
remove obsolete equipment approval requirements. The proposed amendments would 
streamline the process for the approval of PFDs and allow manufacturers the opportunity 
to produce more innovative equipment that would meet approval requirements in both 
Canada and the United States while also reducing the burden of the approval process and  
the production inspections on manufacturing firms.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of human health or safety; Quality requirements; Harmonization; 
Cost saving and productivity enhancement  G/TBT/N/USA/1981  
 
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  8. Relevant documents:   
88 Federal Register (FR) 21016, 7 April 2023; Title 33 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 
Part 181 and 46 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 25, 28, 108, 117, 133, 141, 
160, 169, 180 and 199:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2023-04-07/html/2023 -06504.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2023-04-07/pdf/2023 -06504.pdf  
This notice of proposed rulemaking is identified by Docket Number USCG -2022-0120. The 
Docket Folder is available on Regulations.gov at 
https://www.regulations.gov /docket/USCG -2022-0120/document  and provides access to 
primary documents as well as comments received. Documents are also accessible from 
Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number. WTO Members and their stak eholders 
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 by 4pm Eastern Time  
on 6 June 2023 will be shared with the regulator and will also be submitted to the Docket  
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 June 2023  
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/2023/TBT/USA/23_8849_00_e.pdf