G/TBT/N/ECU/459  
4 June 2019 
(19-3832) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.  
 
1. Notifying Member : ECUADOR  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2  and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  
Servicio Ecuatoriano de Normalización , INEN (Ecuadorian Standardization Service)  
Calle Baquerizo Moreno E8 -29 y Diego de Almagro  
Tel.: (+593 -2) 3825960 to 90  
Website: http://www.normalizacion.gob.ec/  
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:  
Subsecretaría de Calidad  (Under -Secretariat for Quality)  
Ministerio de Producción, Comercio Exterior, Inversiones y Pesca , MPCEIP (Ministry of 
Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries)  
Av. Amazonas entre Unión Nacional de Periodistas y Alfonso Pe reira, Piso 8, Bloque 
amarillo  
Tel.: (+593 -2) 3948760, Ext. 2254 - 2272 
Email:  
puntocontactoOTCECU@produccion.gob.ec ; puntocontactoOTCECU@gmail.com ; 
aramon@produccion.gob.ec ; cyepez@produccion.gob.ec ; jsanchez@produccion.gob.ec  
Website: http://www.industrias.gob.ec/  
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 nat ional tariff 
heading . ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable) : 
7306.61.00.00 Of square or rectangular cross -section ; 7306.69.00.00 Other ; Other, of 
circular cross -section, of stainless steel (HS 73044) ; Other, welded, of circular cross -
section, of stainless steel (HS 730640) ; Other (HS 730690)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document : Proyecto de 
Primera Revisión del Reglamento Técnico Ecuatoriano PRTE INEN 246 (1R) "Tubos de 
acero inoxidable"  (Draft first revision (1R) of Ecuadorian Technical Regulation PRTE INEN 
No. 246: "Stainless steel tubing") (10 pages, in Spanish)  
6. Description of content : The notified Ecuadorian Technical Regulation establishes the 
requirements to be met by stainless steel tubing, whether with seams (welded) or 
seamless, both for transporting fluids and for structural use, prior to the marketing of 
domestic and imported products, with the aim of protecting human health and safety and 
preventing deceptive practices.  G/TBT/N/ECU/459  
- 2 - 
  It applies to the following products:  
1. Welded stainless steel tubing, of circular cross -section, for mechanical and general 
engineering purposes.  
2. Seamless stainless steel tubing, of circular cross -section, for mechanical and general 
engineering purposes.  
3. Welded stainless steel structural mechanical tubing, of circular, square, rectangular or 
special -type cross -section:  
3.1 Welded stainless steel structural mechanical tubing for use in mechanical 
applications where appearance, mechanical properties, or corrosion resistance is needed, 
for structural and ornamental purposes.  
3.2 As -welded or cold -reduced structural mechanical tubing in nominal diameter 
sizes of 406.4 mm (16 inches) outside dimension, and in wall thicknesses of 0.51 mm 
(0.020 inches) or more. 
4. Seamless stainless steel structural mechanical tubing, of circular, square, rectangular 
or special -type cross -section:  
4.1 Seamless stainless steel structural mechanical tubing for use in mechanical 
applications where resistance to corrosion or hi gh-temperature s is needed.  
4.2 Seamless cold -finished structural mechanical tubing and seamless hot -finished 
structural mechanical tubing in sizes up to 325 mm (12 ¾ inches) in outside nominal 
diameter (for round tubing).  
It does not apply to:  
• Steel tubing  used in the oil and gas industries.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : Consumer information, labelling ; Prevention of deceptive practices and 
consumer protection ; Protection of human health or safety.  
8. Relevant documents:  
Normative references:  
1. ISO 2859 -1:1999+Amd 1:2011, Sampling procedures for inspection by attributes 
- Part 1 : Sampling schemes indexed by acceptance quality limit (AQL) for lot -by-
lot inspection.  
2. ISO 6892 -1:2016, Metallic materials - Tensile testing - Part 1 : Method of test at 
room temperature.  
3. ISO/IEC 17025:2017, General requirements for the competence of testing and 
calibration laboratories.  
4. ISO/IEC 17050 -1:2004, Conformity assessment - Supplier's declaration of 
conformity - Part 1 : General requirements.  
5. ISO/IEC 17067:2013, Conformity assessment - Fundamentals of product 
certification and guidelines for product certification schemes.  
6. EN 10296 -2:2005, Welded circular steel tubes for mechanical and general 
engineering purposes . Technica l delivery conditions . Part 2: Stainless steel.  
7. EN 10297 -2:2005, Seamless circular steel tubes for mechanical and general 
engineering purposes . Technical delivery conditions . Part 2: Stainless steel.  
8. ASTM A370 -18, Standard Test methods and definitions for mechanical testing of 
steel products.  
9. ASTM A511/A511M - 16, Standard specification for seamless stainless steel 
mechanical tubing and hollow bar.  
10. ASTM A554 - 16, Standard specification for welded stainless steel mechanical 
tubing.  G/TBT/N/ECU/459  
- 3 - 
  11. ASTM A941 -18, Standard te rminology relating to steel, stainless steel, related 
alloys, and ferroalloys.  
Notification history:  
1. G/TBT/N/ECU/274  
2. G/TBT/N/ECU/274/Add.1  
9. Proposed date of adoption : 60 days from notification or thereafter  
Proposed date of entry into force : 180 days from the date of adoption  
10. Final date for comments : 60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from : National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
Contact and /or National Enquiry Point:  
Subsecretaría de Calidad  
Ministerio de Producción, Comercio Exterior, Inversiones y Pesca (MPCEIP)  
Av. Amazonas entre Unión Nacional de Periodistas y Alfonso Pereira, Piso 8, Bloque 
amarillo  
Tel.: (+593 -2) 3948760, Ext. 2254 - 2272 
Email:  
puntocontactoOTCECU@produccion.gob.ec ; puntocontactoOTCECU@gmail.com ; 
aramon@produccion.gob.ec ; cyepez@produccion.gob.ec ; jsanchez@produccion.gob.ec  
http://www.normalizacion.gob.e c/ 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/ECU/19_3198_00_s.pdf