G/TBT/N/USA/1011  
 
20 July 2015  
(15-3710)  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: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of 
Transportation (DOT) National Highway Tra ffic Safety Administra tion (NHTSA) [1029] 
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 Enquiry 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, wher e applicable): Medium and 
heavy-duty vehicle emissions. Air quality (ICS : 13.040), Road vehicle systems (ICS: 43.040) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Greenhouse Gas 
Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles – 
Phase 2 (629 pages, in English) 
6. Description of content: EPA and NHTSA, on behalf of the Department of Transportation, 
are each proposing rules to establish a comprehensive Phase 2 Heavy- Duty (HD) National Program that will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fuel consumption for new 
on-road heavy-duty vehicles. This technology -advancing program would phase in over the 
long-term, beginning in the 2018 model year and culminating in standards for model year 2027, responding to the President's directive on 18 February 2014, to develop new standards that will take us well into the ne xt decade. NHTSA's proposed fuel consumption 
standards and EPA's proposed carbon dioxid e (CO2) emission standards are tailored to 
each of four regulatory categories of heavy-duty vehicles: Combination tractors; trailers used in combination with those tractors; heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans; and 
vocational vehicles. The proposal also includes separate standards for the engines that 
power combination tractors and vocational vehicles. Certain proposed requirements for control of GHG emissions are exclusive to EPA programs. These include EPA's proposed 
hydrofluorocarbon standards to control leakage from air conditioning systems in vocational 
vehicles, and EPA's proposed nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) standards for heavy-duty engines. Additionally, NHTSA is  addressing misalignment in the Phase 1 
standards between EPA and NHTSA to ensure there are no differences in compliance 
standards between the agencies. In an effort to promote efficiency, the agencies are also 
proposing to amend their rules to modify repo rting requirements, such as the method by 
which manufacturers submit pre-model, mid-model, and supplemental reports. EPA's 
proposed HD Phase 2 GHG emission standards are authorized under the Clean Air Act and 
NHTSA's proposed HD Phase 2 fuel consumption standards authorized under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. These standards would begin with model 
year 2018 for trailers under EPA standards and 2021 for all of the other heavy-duty vehicle 
and engine categories. The agencies estimate that the combined standards would reduce G/TBT/N/USA/1011 
 
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  CO2 emissions by approximately 1 billion metric  tons and save 1.8 billion barrels of oil 
over the life of vehicles and engines sold during the Phase 2 program, providing over 
$200 billion in net societal benefits. As noted, the proposal also includes certain EPA-
specific provisions relating to control of emissions of pollutants other than GHGs. EPA is 
seeking comment on non- GHG emission standards relating to the use of auxiliary power units installed in tractors. In addition, EPA is proposing to clarify the classification of 
natural gas engines and other gaseous-fueled heavy-duty engines, and is proposing closed 
crankcase standards for emissions of all pollutants from natural gas heavy-duty engines. EPA is also proposing technical amendments to EPA rules that apply to emissions of 
non-GHG pollutants from light-duty motor vehicles, marine diesel engines, and other 
nonroad engines and equipment. Finally, EPA is  proposing to require that rebuilt engines 
installed in new incomplete vehicles meet the emission standards applicable in the year of assembly, including all applicable standards for criteria pollutants.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents: 80 Federal Register (FR) 40137, 13 July 2015; Title 40 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 9, 22, 85, 86, 600, 1033, 1036, 1037, 1039, 1042, 1043, 
1065, 1066 and 1068; Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 512, 523, 534, 
535, 537 and 538. 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   
10. Final date for comments: 11 September 2015 
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/crnattachm ents/2015/TBT/USA/15_2800_00_e.pdf