G/TBT/N/USA/1733  
26 May 2021  
(21-4376) 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:  Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), 
Department of Justice [1762]  
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 Inquiry 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):  Firearms; 
Military engineering (Vocabularies) (ICS 01.040.95), Domestic safety (ICS 13.120), 
MILITARY ENGINEERING (ICS 95)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Definition of 
"Frame or Receiver" and Identification of Firearm s (34 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Notice of proposed rulemaking; request for comment - The 
Department of Justice ("Department") proposes amending  
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") regulations to provide new 
regulatory definitions of "firearm frame or receiver" and "frame or receiver" because the 
current regulations fail to capture the full meaning of those terms. The Department also 
proposes amending ATF's definitions of "firearm" and "gunsmith" to clarify the  meaning 
of those terms, and to provide definitions of terms such as "complete weapon," "complete 
muffler or silencer device," "privately made firearm," and "readily" for purposes of clarity 
given advancements in firearms technology. Further, the Departmen t proposes 
amendments to ATF's regulations on marking and recordkeeping that are necessary to 
implement these new or amended definitions.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  National security requirements; Prevention of deceptive practices and 
consumer protection  
8. Relevant documents:   
 86 Federal Register (FR) 27720, 21 May 2021; Title 27 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) Parts 447, 478 and 479:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2021-05-21/html/2021 -10058.htm  
https://www.govinf o.gov/content/pkg/FR -2021-05-21/pdf/2021 -10058.pdf  
This notice of proposed rulemaking; request for comment is identified by Docket Number 
ATF 2021R -05. The Docket Folder is available on Regulations.gov at G/TBT/N/USA/1733  
 
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  https://www.regulations.gov/docket/ATF -2021-0001/document  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 USA TBT Enquiry Point from WTO Mem bers 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.  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  19 August 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_3665_ 00_e.pdf