G/TBT/N/JAM/60  
 
22 May 2017  
(17-2739) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to T rade  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member : JAMAICA   
If applicable, name of local government involved  (Article 3.2 and 7.2) :  
2. Agency responsible:  Bureau of Standards Jamaica  
Name an d 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 :  
Regional and International Office  
6 Winc hester Road  
Kingston 10  
Jamaica W.I.  
Email: info@bsj.org.jm   
Website: http://www.bsj.org.jm  
Tel.: 1 (876) 926 -3140-5/618 – 1534/632 -4275 
Fax: 1 (876) 929 -4736 
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):  Surface active agents 
(ICS: 71.100.40).  
5. Title, number of pages  and language(s)  of the notified document:  Jamaican Standard 
Specification for Synthetic laundry detergent powder (15 page(s), in English)    
6. Description of content:  This document specifies the specification for synthetic laun dry 
detergent powder. It specifies the chemical and physical requirements identifying 
maximum and minimum permissible limits of key parameters. It also covers essential 
ingredients, test methods and requirements for packaging, labelling and sampling.  
7. Objective and rationale , including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
This document which was developed in response to concerns expressed by 
environmentalists regarding beach erosion and algal growth in closed water -ways, have 
led to reformulat ions of synthetic detergents in an effort to mitigate their negative impact 
on the environment. National concerns were raised about the permissible levels of 
phosphates in detergents, which are present and observed at high levels in wastewater 
discharges f rom industrial, commercial, agricultural and domestic sources. Also, 
manufacturers and distributors expressed their concerns about the high minimum active 
ingredients requirement which had no scientific rationale and was proving to be an 
unnecessary barrie r to trade.  
8. Relevant documents:  A notice of the Jamaican Standard Specification for Synthetic 
laundry detergent powder will appear in The Jamaica Gazette Supplement - Proclamations, 
Rules and Regulations. The document will appear as a Jamaican Standard  Specification, 
with mandatory status, and will be available for sale.   G/TBT/N/JAM/60  
 
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  9. Proposed date of adoption:  Date of publication in the Jamaica Gazette Supplement - 
Proclamations, Rules and Regulations.  
Proposed date of entry into force:  Six months following date of publication in the 
Jamaica Gazette Supplement - Proclamations, Rules and Regulations.  
10. Final date for comments:  13 July 2017  
11. Texts available from : National enquiry point  [X] or address, telephone and fax 
number s and e mail and website addre sses, if available , of other body:   
The full text of the proposed technical regulation (mandatory standard) can be directly 
accessed on the website of the Bureau Standards Jamaica: http://www.bsj.org.jm