G/TBT/N/USA/1265  
 
26 January 2017  
(17-0518) 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 : Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Department of the 
Treasury [1285]  
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 indicat ed if different from above : 
Please submit comments to : USA WTO TBT Inquiry 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 C CCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable) : Hard cider . Other 
fermented beverages (for example, cider, perry, mead); mixtures of fermented beverages 
and mixtures of fermented beverage s and non - Alcoholic beverages, not elsewhere specified 
or included  (HS: 2206) . Beverages (ICS : 67.160)  
5. Title, number of pages  and language(s)  of the notified document : Implementation of 
Statutory Amendments Requiring the Modification of the Definition  of Hard Cider (3 pages, in 
English)  
6. Description of content : The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) 
implements changes made to the definition of "hard cider" in the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986 by the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Ac t of 2015. The modified definition 
broadens the range of wines eligible for the hard cider tax rate. TTB is amending its 
regulations to reflect the modified definition of hard cider effective for products removed 
on or after 1 January 2017, and to set fort h new labeling requirements to identify products 
to which the hard cider tax rate applies. The new labeling requirements include both a 
one-year transitional rule and a new labeling requirement that takes effect for products 
removed on or after 1 January 2 018. The text of the regulations in that temporary rule 
published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register serves as the text of the proposed 
regulations.  
7. Objective and rationale , including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : Prevent ion of deceptive practices and consumer protection  G/TBT/N/USA/1265  
 
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  8. Relevant documents : 
 82 Federal Register (FR) 7753, 23 January 2017; Title 27 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) Parts 24 and 27.  Will appear in the Federal Register when 
adopted.  
 Implementation of Statu tory Amendments Requiring the Modification of the 
Definition of Hard Cider, Temporary rule; Treasury decision; cross reference to 
notice of proposed rulemaking published 23 January 2017 will be notified as 
Add.1 : https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2017-01-23/html/2017 -00333.htm  
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2017-01-23/pdf/2017 -00333.pdf  
9. Proposed date of adoption : To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force : To be determined   
10. Final date for comments : 24 March 2017  
11. Texts available from : National enquiry point  [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
number s and e mail and website address es, if available , of other body : 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2017/TBT/USA/17_0527_00_e.pdf