G/TBT/N/USA/941  
 
22 December 2014  
(14-7408)  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) [959] 
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 : 
Please submit comments to: 
USA WTO TBT Inquiry Point Email: ncsci@nist.gov   
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 applic able, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Organic products. Food 
products in general (ICS: 67.040) 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document: Exemption of 
Organic Products from Assessment under a Commodity Promotion Law (26 pages, in English)  
6. Description of content: This proposal would modify the organic assessment exemption 
regulations under 23 Federal marketing orders and 22 research and promotion programs. The current regulations would be amended to allow persons that produce, handle, market, 
or import certified organic products to be exempt from paying assessments associated with 
commodity promotion activities, including paid  advertising, conducted under a commodity 
promotion program administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). The exemption would cover all "organic" and "100 percent organic" products certified under the 
National Organic Program regardless of whether the person requesting the exemption also 
produces, handles, markets, or imports conventional or nonorganic products. Currently, only persons that exclusively produce and market products certified as 100 percent organic 
are eligible for an exemption from assessments under commodity promotion programs. 
The authority for this proposal is in section 10004 of the Agricultural Act of 2014.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
Prevention of deceptive practices and consumer protection 
8. Relevant documents:  79 Federal Register (FR) 75005, 16 December 2014; Title 7 Code 
of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 900, 1150, 1160, 1205, 1206, 1207, 1208, 1209, 1210, 
1212, 1214, 1215, 1216, 1217, 1218, 1219, 1220, 1221, 1222, 1230, 1250, 1260, and 1280.  Will appear in the Federal Register when adopted. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   To be determined 
Proposed date of entry into force:   To be determined   G/TBT/N/USA/941 
 
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  10. Final date for comments: 15 January 2015 
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [  ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body: 
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2014-12-16/html /2014-29280.htm  
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2014-12-16/pd f/2014-29280.pdf