G/TBT/N/USA/1638  
19 August 2020  
(20-5639) 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) [1666]  
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 [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):  Clothes 
washers and dryers; Household or laundry -type washing machines, incl. machines which 
both wash and dry; parts thereof (HS 8450); Environmental protection (ICS 13.020), 
Laundry appliances (ICS 97.060)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of t he notified document:  Energy 
Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Clothes Washers and Clothes 
Dryers (16 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Notice of proposed rulemaking - The Energy Policy and 
Conservation Act, as amended ("EPCA"), prescribes energy conservation standards for 
various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including 
residential clothes washers and consumer clothes dryers. In this notice of proposed 
rulemaking ("NOPR"), the Departm ent of Energy (DOE) proposes to establish separate 
product classes for top -loading residential clothes washers and consumer clothes dryers 
that offer cycle times for a normal cycle of less than 30 minutes, and for front -loading 
residential clothes washers that offer cycle times for a normal cycle of less than 45 
minutes. DOE would consider appropriate energy and water efficiency standards for such 
product classes, if adopted, in separate rulemakings.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urge nt problems where 
applicable:  Consumer information, labelling; Prevention of deceptive practices and 
consumer protection; Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents:   
85 Federal Register (FR) 49297, 13 August 2020; Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) Part 430:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/ pkg/FR -2020-08-13/html/2020 -15750.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2020-08-13/pdf/2020 -15750.pdf  
This proposed rule is identified by docket number EERE -2020-BT-STD-0001.   The Docket G/TBT/N/USA/1638  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Folder is available on Regulations.gov  at https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EERE -
2020-BT-STD-0001, and provides 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 asked to submit comments to 
the USA TBT Enquiry Point .  Comments received by the US A 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/305 and subsequent addenda  - Energy Efficiency Program for Certain 
Commercial  and Industrial Equipment: Public Meeting and Availability of the Framework 
Document for Residential Clothes Dryers and Room Air Conditioners  
Previous actions notified under the symbol G/TBT/N/USA/305  are identified by Docket 
Number EERE -2007-BT-STD-0010.   The Docket Folder is available on Regulations.gov  
at https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EERE -2007-BT-STD-0010 and provides access 
to primary and supporting documents as well as comments received.   Documents are also 
accessible from Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number.  
G/TBT/N/USA/709 and subsequent addenda  - Energy Conservation Program: Energy 
Conservation Standards for Residential Clothes Washers  
Previous actions notified under the symbol G/TBT/N/USA/709  are identified by Docket 
Number EERE -2008-BT-STD-0019.   The Docket Folder is available on Regulations.gov  at 
https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EERE -2008-BT-STD-0019 and provides access to 
primary and supporting documents as well as comments received.   Documents are also 
accessible from Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number.  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  14 September 2020  
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/2020/TBT/USA/20_4976_00_e.pdf