G/TBT/N/USA/1946  
1 December 2022  
(22-8946) 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 Postal Service (USPS) [1977]  
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 [  ], 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):  Electronic 
indicators; transport hazardous materials; Transport (ICS code(s): 03.220); Postal 
services (ICS code(s ): 03.240); Domestic safety (ICS code(s): 13.120); Protection 
against dangerous goods (ICS code(s): 13.300); Electronic components in general (ICS 
code(s): 31.020)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Electronic 
Indicators f or the Mailing of Hazardous Materials; (7 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Proposed rule for special standards; invitation to comment - 
The Postal Service proposes to provide unique electronic service codes and to standardize 
extra service options for shipments of hazardous materials (HAZMAT). If adopted, this 
proposal would amend Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail (Pub 
52) by requiring the use of unique service type codes and extra service codes within the 
electronic  data submission and tracking barcodes for shipments containing HAZMAT 
provided to the USPS by the mailers in their Shipping Services File (SSF). This proposal 
would standardize the acceptance and handling of shipments containing HAZMAT by 
collecting elect ronic data to create manifests for the Postal Service's air carrier suppliers 
and ensuring these items are handled appropriately with regards to the category of 
HAMZAT contained within the package. The Postal Service also proposes to amend the 
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)  that 
would alter the refund eligibility of Priority Mail Express containing hazardous materials.  
7. Objective and rationale, including th e nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of human health or safety; Cost saving and productivity 
enhancement  G/TBT/N/USA/1946  
 
- 2 - 
 
  8. Relevant documents:   
87 Federal Register (FR) 73510, 30 November 2022; Title 39 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) Part 111:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2022-11-30/html/2022 -26072.htm  
https://www.govin fo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2022-11-30/pdf/2022 -26072.pdf  
WTO Members and their stakeholders are asked to submit comments to the USA TBT 
Enquiry Point  by or before 4pm Eastern Time  on 30 December 2022. Comments received 
by the USA TBT Enquiry Point from WTO Members and their  stakeholders will be shared 
with the regulator.  
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Publication 52 - Hazardous, 
Restricted, and Perishable Mail: https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/w elcome.htm  
G/TBT/N/USA/1886 and Add.1  - New Mailing Standards for the Separation of Hazardous 
Materials  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  30 December 2022  
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/2022/TBT/USA/22_8230_00_e.pdf