G/TBT/N/USA/2099  
23 February 2024  
(24-1654) 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:   
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation 
(DOT) [2131]  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle co mments 
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 [  ], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 5.7.1 [  ], 3.2 [  ], 7.2 [  ], 
other  [X]: In the interest of ensuring a robust Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance 
(OVSC) laboratory test procedure for a new safety standard, NHTSA invites public 
comment on TP–213–11 specifically relating to sections of the OVSC laboratory test 
procedure that include FMVSS No. 213a requirements.  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where  applicable):  Child 
restraint systems - side impact protection, test procedures; Quality (ICS code(s): 
03.120); Domestic safety (ICS code(s): 13.120); Test conditions and procedures in 
general (ICS code(s): 19.020); Crash protection and restraint systems ( ICS code(s): 
43.040.80)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Federal Motor 
Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 213 Test Procedure (TP -213-11); (3 page(s), in 
English)  
6. Description of content:  Request for comments by 22 Ma y 2024 - The National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) seeks public comment on the Office of Vehicle 
Safety Compliance (OVSC) laboratory test procedure (TP) number TP -213-11, specifically 
relating to FMVSS No. 213a, Child restraint systems --side impact protection. This TP, 
prepared for the limited purpose of use by contracted independent laboratories conducting 
tests for NHTSA, is an agency guidance document intended for use by NHTSA test 
contractors. TPs are not rules, regulations, or agency i nterpretations regarding the 
meaning of a Federal motor vehicle safety standard. The TP serves as a contractual 
document between NHTSA and its contract test laboratories. The updated OVSC 
laboratory test procedure, TP -213-11, includes new instructions for how labs should test 
for compliance with the recently created FMVSS No. 213a, Child restraint systems --side 
impact protection.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of human health or safety; Qual ity requirements  G/TBT/N/USA/2099  
 
- 2 - 
 
  8. Relevant documents:   
89 Federal Register (FR) 13397, 22 February 2024:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2024-02-22/html/2024 -03591.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2024-02-22/pdf/2024 -03591.pd f 
G/TBT/N/USA/882 and subsequent addenda  - Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; 
Child Restraint Systems, Child Restraint Systems - Side Impact Protection, Incorporation 
by Reference identified by Docket Numbers NHTSA -2014-0012 and NHTSA -2022-0051 
This request for comment is identified by Docket  Number NHTSA -2023-0067. The Docket 
Folder is available on Regulations.gov at https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NHTSA -
2023-0067/document  and prov ides 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 th eir stakeholders are asked to submit comments 
to the USA TBT Enquiry Point  by or before 4pm Eastern Time  on 22 May 2024. Comments 
received by the USA TBT Enquiry Point from WTO Members and their stakeholders will be 
shared with NHTSA 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:  22 May 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/2024/TBT/USA/24_01643_00_e.pdf