G/TBT/N/USA/1450  
 
22 March 2019  
(19-1787) 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 AME RICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [1476]  
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 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [X], 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):  Fuel; 
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, other than crude; preparations 
not elsewhere specified or included, containing by weight 70% or more of petroleum oils 
or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of 
the preparati ons; waste oils (HS 2710); Quality (ICS 03.120), Fuels (ICS 75.160), 
Air quality (ICS 13.040)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Modifications to 
Fuel Regulations To Provide Flexibility for E15; Modifications to RFS RIN Ma rket 
Regulations (47 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing 
regulatory changes to allow gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol to take 
advantage of the 1 -pound per square inch (psi) R eid Vapor Pressure (RVP) waiver that 
currently applies to E10 during the summer months. EPA is also proposing an interpretive 
rulemaking which defines gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol as "substantially 
similar" to the fuel used to certify Tie r 3 motor vehicles. Finally, EPA is proposing 
regulatory changes to modify certain elements of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) 
compliance system, in order to improve functioning of the renewable identification 
number (RIN) market and prevent market manip ulation.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Consumer information, labelling; Prevention of deceptive practices and 
consumer protection; Protection of the environment; Quality requirements  G/TBT/N/USA/1450  
 
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  8. Relevant documents:   
• 84 Federal Register (FR) 10584, 21 March 2019; Title 40 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) Part 80.  Will appear in the Federal Register when adopted.  
• Public Hearing for Modifications To Fuel Regulations To Provide Flexibility for E15; 
Modificati ons to RFS RIN Market Regulations published 18 March 2019:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2019-03-18/html/2019 -05034.htm   
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2019-03-18/pdf/2019 -05034.pdf  
• G/TBT/N/USA/794  and G/TBT/N/USA/794/Add.1  - RFS Renewable Identification 
Number (RIN) Quality Assurance Program  
• G/TBT/N/USA/830  - Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: RFS Pathways II and 
Technical; Amendments to the RFS 2 Standards  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  29 April 2019  
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/2019/TBT/USA/19_1677_00_e.pdf