G/TBT/N/USA/2078  
20 December 2023  
(23-8705) 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:   
Postal Service (USPS) [2109]  
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 fro m 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):  Hazardous 
and nonregulated toxic materials; outer packaging; Postal services (ICS code(s): 
03.240); Pr otection against dangerous goods (ICS code(s): 13.300); Galvanic cells and 
batteries (ICS code(s): 29.220); Packaging and distribution of goods in general (ICS 
code(s): 55.020); Cases. Boxes. Crates (ICS code(s): 55.160)  
5. Title, number of pages and lang uage(s) of the notified document:  New Mailing 
Standards for Hazardous Materials Outer Packaging and Nonregulated Toxic Materials; (3 
page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Proposed rule - The Postal Service is proposing to amend 
Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail (Pub 52)  by requiring specific 
outer packaging strength standards when mailing hazardous materials or dangerous 
goods and  remove quantity restrictions for nonregulated toxic materials. Additionally, the 
Postal Service proposes to allow mailers to use poly or padded bags as outer packaging 
for shipments containing lithium batteries installed in the equipment they operate if t he 
shipment does not display hazardous text, markings or labels as permitted in sections 
349 and 622.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Consumer information, labelling; Protection of human health or safe ty G/TBT/N/USA/2078  
 
- 2 - 
 
  8. Relevant documents:   
88 Federal Register (FR) 86868, 18 December 2023; Title 39 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) Part 111 : 
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2023-12-15/html/2023 -27643.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2023-12-15/pdf/2023 -27643.pd f 
WTO Members and their stakeholders are asked to submit comments to the USA TBT 
Enquiry Point . Comments received by the USA TBT Enquiry Point fr om WTO Members and 
their stakeholders by 4pm Eastern Time  on 16 January 2024 will be shared with the USPS 
if received within the comment period.  
G/TBT/N/USA/1886 and Add.1  - New Mailing Standards for the Separation of Hazardous 
Material  
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Publication 52 - Hazardous, 
Restricted, and Perishable Mail: https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/welcome.htm  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  16 January 2024  
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_14751_00_e.pdf