G/TBT/N/USA/1653  
16 October 2020  
(20-7159) 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:  Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) [1679]  
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 [   ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other  [X]:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Beans; 
Fresh or chilled beans "Vigna spp., Phaseolus spp.", shelled or unshelled (HS 070820); 
- Beans (Vigna spp., Phaseolus spp.) : (HS 07133); Quality (ICS 03.120), 
Fruits.  Vegetables (ICS 67.080)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notifi ed document:  United States 
Standards for Beans (2 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Notice and request for comments - The United States 
Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing a 
revision to the me thod of interpretation for determining "sample grade criteria," in the 
Bean Inspection Handbook, as it pertains to the class "Blackeye beans," in the U.S. 
Standards for Beans under the United States Agricultural Marketing Act (AMA). 
Stakeholders in the dry  bean processing/handling industry requested that AMS amend 
the definition of sample grade in the Blackeye bean inspection instructions by revising the 
unit of measurement for the factor Insect Webbing or Filth and removing clean -cut weevil -
bore as a sampl e grade factor. Clean -cut weevil -bore will be considered a damage factor 
only. To ensure that the Blackeye bean class standard remains relevant, AMS invites 
interested parties to comment on whether revising the inspection instructions facilitate 
the market ing of Blackeye beans. This action does not revise or amend the Grade and 
Grade Requirements for the class Blackeye Beans in the U.S. Standard for Beans.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Consumer inform ation, labelling; Quality requirements  G/TBT/N/USA/1653  
 
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  8. Relevant documents:   
• 85 Federal Register (FR) 60955, 29 September 2020:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2020-09-29/html/2020 -21434.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2020-09-29/pdf/2020 -21434.pdf  
This notice and request for comments is identified by Docket Number AMS -FGIS-20-0065. 
The Docket Folder is available on Regulations.gov at 
https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=AMS -FGIS-20-0065 and provides access to 
primary 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 Members and their stakeholders will be hared 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:  29 October 2020  
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/2020/TBT/USA/20_6196_00_e.pdf