G/TBT/N/MEX/306  
21 April 2016  
(16-2250)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: Spanish  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Notifying Member: MEXICO 
If applicable, name of local governme nt involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible: Secretaría de Economía  (Ministry of the Economy) 
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:  
Comité Consultivo Nacional de Normalización de la Secretaría de Economía , CCONNSE 
(National Advisory Committee on Standardization of the Ministry of the Economy) 
Av. Puente de Tecamachalco número 6 Colonia Lomas de Tecamachalco, Sección Fuentes 
Naucalpan de Juárez, C.P. 53950 
Estado de México Tel.: 5729 6100, Ext. 43222 
Email: emeterio.mosso@economia.gob.mx  and francisco.delcollado@economia.gob.mx  
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): Wood 
particle board and wood fibreboard manufactured using urea-formaldehyde resins as an 
adhesive (subheading 44.10.11) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: PROY-NOM-203-
SCFI-2015 "Que establece los límites máximos permisibles de emisión y contenido de formaldehído en tableros de partículas de madera y tableros de fibras de madera 
fabricados con urea formaldehído, y en los productos fabricados con este tipo de tableros" 
(Draft Mexican Official Standard PROY-NOM-203-SCFI-2015 establishing the maximum permissible limits for formaldehyde emissions from and the formaldehyde content of wood 
particle board and wood fibreboard manufactured using urea-formaldehyde, and products 
manufactured with this type of board) (5 pages, in Spanish) 
6. Description of content: The notified draft Mexican Official Standard establishes and 
defines the maximum perm issible limits for fr ee formaldehyde emissions from and the free 
formaldehyde content of domestically-produced or imported wood particle board and wood 
fibreboard, during the production of which urea-formaldehyde resins were used as an 
adhesive, as well as products manufactured with such boards, in order to ensure that they are used, stored, manufactured, marketed, exported and imported in accordance with 
safety standards, and that they do not pose a risk to the health of users, marketing agents 
and workers in factories that manufacture such products. 
Formaldehyde, which is needed to make ur ea-formaldehyde adhesive resins for the 
production of wood-based boards, is a normal-p ressure, highly volatile gas, which can be 
found in low concentrations in the open air, as it is emitted by many materials and 
products, including foodstuffs. However, it may pose health risks if high concentrations are present in the air. G/TBT/N/MEX/306 
- 2 - 
  In light of the above, so as to prevent health  risks and ensure the safety of users of wood 
particle board and wood fibreboard manufactured with urea-formaldehyde, and wood 
particle board and wood fibreboard products, mandatory regulations have been established 
on the maximum permissi ble limits for formaldehyde emissions from and the formaldehyde 
content of domestically-produced or imported wood particle board and wood fibreboard, as 
well as furniture and all products manufactured with this type of board. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: To establish maximum permissible limits for formaldehyde emissions from and 
the formaldehyde content of wood particle board and wood fibreboard which are manufactured using urea-formaldehyde as an adhesive, in addition to furniture and parts thereof, and all other products manufactured using this type of board. 
The notified draft Standard also applies to domestically-produced and imported wood 
particle board and wood fibreboard, during the production of which urea-formaldehyde resins were used, in addition to domestically-produced and imported furniture and parts 
thereof, and all products manufactured using this type of board. 
8. Relevant documents:  
 NMX-C-461-ONNCCE-2010 - Industria de la construcción - Tableros de partículas de 
madera - Denominación, clasificación y especificaciones  (Mexican Standard NMX-C-
461-ONNCCE-2010 - Construction industry - Wood particle board - Names, 
classification and specifications), published in the Official Journal on 25 October 
2010; 
 NMX-C-462-ONNCCE-2010 - Industria de la construcción - Tableros de partículas de 
madera - Propiedades físicas y mecánicas, tasa de emisión y contenido de 
formaldehído-Métodos de ensayo (Mexican Standard NMX-C-465-ONNCCE-2012 - 
Construction industry - Wood particle board - Physical and mechanical properties, formaldehyde emission rate and content - Test methods), published in the Official 
Journal on 7 April 2011. 
 NMX-C-465-ONNCCE-2012 - Industria de la construcción - Tableros de fibras de 
madera - Clasificación y especificaciones (Mexican Standard NMX-C-465-ONNCCE-
2012 - Construction industry - Wood fibreboard - Classification and specifications), 
published in the Official Journal on 17 September 2012. 
9. Proposed date of adoption: The notified draft Mexican Official Standard will be adopted 
upon its publication in the Official Journal as a final standard. 
Proposed date of entry into force: The notified draft Mexican O fficial Standard will enter 
into force 60 calendar days following its publication in the Official Journal as a final 
standard.  
10. Final date for comments: 60 days after its notification to the WTO. 
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresse s, if available, of other body:  
Secretaría de Economía  
Subsecretaría de Competitividad y Normatividad  
Dirección General de Normas  
Tel.: (+52) 55 52 29 61 00, Ext. 43244 Fax: (+52) 55 5520 9715 
Website: http://www.economia-noms.gob.mx/?P=144  
Email: normasomc@economia.gob.mx  and/or sofia.pacheco@economia.gob.mx  
Text available online at: 
http://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.p hp?codigo=5433570&fecha=19/04/2016  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/TBT/MEX/16_1588_00_s.pdf