G/TBT/N/CAN/593  
3 July 2019  
(19-4456) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English, French  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  CANADA   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Department of Health and Department of the Environment and 
Climate Change  
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:   
Canada's Notification Authority and Enquiry Point  
Global Affairs Canada  
Technical Barr iers and Regulations Division  
111 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2  
Canada  
Telephone: (343) 203 -4273 
Fax: (613) 943 -0346 
E-mail: enquirypoint@international.gc.ca   
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 national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  
Formaldehyde from composite wood products (ICS: 03.120.2; 79.060; 91.040; 91.060)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Proposed 
Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products Regulations (44 pages, available 
in English  and French).  
6. Description of content:  The Regulations would place limits on formaldehyde emissions 
from composite wood products sold in, offered for sale in and imported into Canada, with 
a limited number of exemptions.  
The proposed Regulations would not apply to many construction materials including 
structural plywood, oriented strand board, structural panels, structural composite lumber, 
structural glued -laminated timber, wood I -joists, and cross -laminated timber.  
The proposed Regulations would also include the following exemptions:  
• curved plywood  
• finger -jointed lumber  
• hardboard  
• wood packaging, including pallets, crates, spools and dunnage  
• composite wood products used in: a vehicle, other than a mobile home, motor 
home or recreational trailer; any car  or railway equipment that is designed for 
movement on its wheels on the rails of a railway; a vessel; or, an aircraft.  G/TBT/N/CAN/593  
 
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  • windows that contain a composite wood product that represents less than 5% of 
the total volume of the window, including the glass  
• exterior or garage doors that contain a composite wood product that either 
represents less than 3% of the total volume of the exterior or garage door or that 
contain a composite wood product made only with a no -added formaldehyde resin 
or an ultra -low emit ting formaldehyde resin  
• composite wood products that are to be used for research and development 
activities  
• composite wood products that are to be used in a laboratory for analysis, in 
scientific research or as a laboratory analytical standard; and  
• composi te wood products that are manufactured or imported for export only.  
Testing requirements on manufacturers of composite wood products are set out in the 
Regulations as well as within an incorporated by reference directive. Certain testing 
requirements must be respected using an accredited laboratory. After the coming into 
force of the final regulations, composite wood products must be labelled at the time of 
sale in Canada. There are also recordkeeping and reporting requirements set out in the 
Regulations.  
Certain laminated products are subject to transitional provision. In addition, composite 
wood products located in Canada prior to the coming into force of the final regulations, 
may be used in their manufacturing, offered for sale and sold without meeting the 
requirements set out in the Regulations for three years after their coming into force.  
The Proposed Regulations align, where possible, with similar requirements in the United 
States.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems  where 
applicable:  Protection of the human healt h 
8. Relevant documents:   
• Canada Gazette , Part I, 29 June 2019, pages 3263 -3307 (available in English and 
French)  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  Summer 2020  
Proposed date of entry into force:  The regulations come into force six months after 
the day on which they are published in Canada Gazette, Part II.  
10. Final date for comments:  12 September 2019  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
The electronic version of the regulatory text can be downloaded at:  
http://gazette.gc.ca/rp -pr/p1/2019/2019 -06-29/html/reg3 -eng.html  (English)  
http://gazette.gc.ca/rp -pr/p1/2019/2019 -06-29/html/reg3 -fra.html  (French)  
The Directive Concerning Testing for Formaldehyde Emissions that is p art of the regulation 
and describes the testing procedure to determine Formaldehyde emissions can be 
downloaded at:  
https://www.canada.ca/en/environment -climate -change/services/canadian -
environmental -protection -act-registry/guidelines -objectives -codes -practice/proposed -
directive -testing -formalde hyde-emissions.html  (English)  
https://www.canada.ca/fr/environnement -changement -climatique/services/registre -
environnemental -loi-canadienne -protection/directives -objectifs -codes -
pratiques/directive -essais -emissions -formaldehyde -proposee.html  (French)