G/TBT/N/USA/1559  
10 January 2020  
(20-0300) 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:  Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (OEERE), 
Department of Energy (DOE) [1585]  
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 applicab le): Consumer 
refrigeration products; Environmental protection (ICS 13.020), Test conditions and 
procedures in general (ICS 19.020), Refrigerating technology (ICS 27.200), Domestic 
refrigerating appliances (ICS 97.040.30)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Energy 
Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Consumer Refrigeration Products (39 page(s), 
in English)  
6. Description of content:  Notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comment - The 
U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") proposes to amend the test procedures for consumer 
refrigerators, refrigerator -freezers, and freezers, and miscellaneous refrigeration 
products (collectively "co nsumer refrigeration products"). The proposed test procedure 
amendments would, among other things, define the term "compartment", and revise the 
method for including the energy use of automatic icemakers and certain other energy -
using functions. DOE is als o proposing to adjust the standards for these products to 
ensure that this change in test methodology does not require manufacturers to increase 
the efficiency of already compliant products or allow previously non -compliant products 
to meet the current ene rgy conservation standard. DOE is announcing a public meeting 
and comment period to collect comments and data on its proposal, and methods to reduce 
regulatory burden while ensuring the test procedures' representativeness of energy use 
during an average us e cycle or period of use.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Consumer information, labelling; Protection of the environment  G/TBT/N/USA/1559  
 
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  8. Relevant documents:   
• 84 Federal Register (FR) 70842, 23 December 2019; Title 10 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) Part 430:  
https://www.govinfo .gov/content/pkg/FR -2019-12-23/html/2019 -26903.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov /content/pkg/FR -2019-12-23/pdf/2019 -26903.pdf  
• Primary and Supporting Documents as well as comments from a June 2017 
Request for Information (RFI) are accessible from Regulations.gov at 
https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EERE -2017-BT-TP-0004  
• G/TBT/N/USA/551 and subsequent addenda  - Energy Conservation Program for 
Consumer Products: Test  Procedures for Refrigerators, Refrigerator -Freezers, 
and Freezers  
• G/TBT/N/USA/842 and subsequent addenda  - Energy Conservation Program for 
Consumer Products: Test Procedures for Refrigerators, Refrigerator -Freezers, 
and Freezers   
9. Proposed  date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  21 February 2020  
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/2020/TBT/USA/20_0339_00_e.pdf