G/TBT/N/USA/869  
 
15 November 2013  
(13-6328 )  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) [886] 
Name and address (including telephon e 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 :    
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): Tyres; New 
pneumatic tyres, of rubber (HS 4011) Tyres (ICS 83.160). 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document: Consumer 
Information; Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards (5 pages, in English). 
6. Description of content:  The Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards (UTQGS) contain 
detailed testing procedures for generating consumer information about the treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance of passeng er car tyres. To ensure the uniformity of 
treadwear grades, the grading procedures specify a 400-mile test course located near 
San Angelo, Texas. Two or four-vehicle convoys equipped with candidate tyres travel along this course to evaluate the tyre treadwear performance. Because flooding is 
currently affecting several water crossings along a portion of the test course, NHTSA is 
issuing this interim final rule to add an alternate treadwear test course route to avoid the inaccessible portions of the course. This change will not compromise the reliability of the treadwear grades, and will not impose or relax any substantive requirements or burdens 
on manufacturers. Although the addition of the alternative course route is effective 
immediately, in order to benefit from comments which interested parties and the public may have, the agency is requesting that comments be submitted to the docket for this 
rule. Following the close of the comment pe riod, the agency will publish a document 
responding to the comments and, if appropriat e, the agency will amend the provisions of 
this rule. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: Prevention of deceptive practices and consumer protection. 
8. Relevant documents:  78 Federal Register (FR) 66655, 6 November 2013; Title 49 Code 
of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 575. Will appear in the Federal Register when adopted.   
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    6 November 2013   6 November 2013   
10. Final date for comments:  6 January 2014 G/TBT/N/USA/869 
 
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  11. Text available from:  National enquiry point [  ], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresse s, if available of the other body:    
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2013-11-06/html /2013-26581.htm  
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2013-11-06/pd f/2013-26581.pdf