G/TBT/N/USA/1330  
 
9 January 2018  
(18-0176) 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) [1351]  
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 [   ], 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): Grain 
sorghum oil. Air quality (ICS 13.040), Fuels (ICS 75.160).  
5. Title, number of pages  and language(s) of the notified document: Proposed Rule; 
Renewable Fuel Standard Program; Grain Sorghum Oil Pathway (9 page(s), in English)    
6. Description of content: In this proposed rule, the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) is providing an opportunity to comment on an analysis of the lifecycle greenhouse 
gas (GHG) emissions associated with certain biofuels that are produced from grain 
sorghum oil extracted at dr y mill ethanol plants at any point downstream from sorghum 
grinding, also known as distiller sorghum oil. EPA seeks comment on its proposed 
assessment that using distillers sorghum oil as feedstock results in no significant 
agricultural sector GHG emission s; and that biodiesel and heating oil produced from 
distillers sorghum oil via a transesterification process, and renewable diesel, jet fuel, 
heating oil, naphtha, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) produced from distillers sorghum 
oil via a hydrotreating p rocess, would meet the lifecycle GHG emissions reduction 
threshold of 50 percent required for advanced biofuels, and biomass -based diesel under 
the Renewable Fuel Standard program. Based on these analyses, EPA is proposing to 
amend the RFS program regulati ons to define the term "distillers sorghum oil". We also 
propose to add to the regulations approved pathways from the production of biodiesel and 
heating oil from distillers sorghum oil via a transesterification process, and renewable 
diesel, jet fuel, hea ting oil, naphtha, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) produced from 
distillers sorghum oil via a hydrotreating process.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents:  82 Federal Register (FR) 61205, 27 December 2017; Title 40 Code 
of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 80. Will appear in the Federal Register when adopted.   G/TBT/N/USA/1330  
 
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  9. Proposed date of adoption: To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force: To be determined  
10. Final date for comments: 26 January 2018  
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/2018/TBT/USA/18_0183_00_e.pdf