G/TBT/N/USA/840  
 
3 July 2013  
(13-3509)  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:  Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Department of 
Treasury [857] 
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):  Tobacco, 
tobacco products and related equipment (ICS 65.160). 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document:  Importer Permit 
Requirements for Tobacco Products and Processed Tobacco, and Other Requirements for Tobacco Products, Processed Tobacco and Cigarette Papers and Tubes (2 pages in 
English). 
6. Description of content:  Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, by means of a 
temporary rule, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is amending its 
regulations pertaining to permits for importers of tobacco products and processed tobacco by extending the duration of new permits from three years to five years. Based 
on its experience in the administration an d enforcement of importer permits over the 
past decade, TTB believes that it can gain administrative efficiencies and reduce the 
burden on industry members, while still meeting the purposes of the limited-duration permit, by extending the permit duration to five years. That temporary rule also makes 
several technical corrections by amending the definition of "Manufacturer of tobacco 
products" to reflect a recent statutory change, and by amending a reference to the sale price of large cigars to incorporate a clarification published in a prior TTB temporary rule. 
Finally, the temporary rule published elsewhere in this issue incorporates and reissues 
TTB regulations pertaining to importer permit requirements for tobacco products, and minimum manufacturing and marking requirements for tobacco products and cigarette 
papers and tubes, and, as a result, that temporary rule replaces temporary regulations 
originally published in 1999. The text of the regulations in that temporary rule published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Regi ster serves as the text of the proposed 
regulations. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of Human health or Safety; Prevention of deceptive practices and 
consumer protection 
8. Relevant documents:   78 Federal Register (FR) 38646, 27 June 2013; Title 27 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 40, 41 and 44.  Will appear in the Federal Register when 
adopted. G/TBT/N/USA/840 
 
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  Temporary Rule - 78 Federal Register (FR) 38555, 27 June 2013 will be issued as Add.1: 
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR- 2013-06-27/html/2013-15254.htm    
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    To be determined To be determined 
10. Final date for comments:  26 August 2013 
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 -2013-06-27/pd f/2013-15248.pdf  
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2013-06-27/html /2013-15248.htm