G/TBT/N/USA/1307  
 
29 September 2017  
(17-5222) 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) [1328]  
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): Refrigerant  
Environmental protection (ICS 13.020), Air quality (ICS 13.040), Products of the chemical 
industry (ICS 71.100).  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Protection of 
Stratospheric Ozone: Refrigerant Management Regulations for Small Cans of Motor Vehicle 
Refrigerant (3 page(s), in English)   
6. Description of content: EPA is proposing this action to correct an editing oversight that 
lead to a potential conflict in a prior rulemaking as to whether or not containers holding 
two pounds or less of non -exempt substitute refrigerants for use in motor v ehicle air 
conditioning that are not equipped with a self -sealing valve can be sold to persons that are 
not certified technicians, provided those small cans were manufactured or imported prior 
to 1 January 2018. This action clarifies that those small cans may continue to be sold to 
persons that are not certified as technicians under sections 608 or 609 of the Clean Air Act. 
In the "Rules and Regulations" section of this Federal Register, EPA is publishing this action 
as a direct final rule without a prior p roposed rule. If we receive no adverse comment, we 
will not take further action on this proposed rule.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents:  82 Federal Register (FR) 45253, 28 September 2017; Title 40 
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 82.  Will appear in the Federal Register when 
adopted.  
Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Refrigerant Management Regulations for Small Cans of 
Motor Vehicle R efrigerant, Direct Final Rule published 28 September 2017 will be issued as 
Add.1:   
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2017-09-28/html/2017 -20840.htm  
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2017-09-28/pdf/2017 -20840.pdf  
G/TBT/N/USA/10 49 - Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Update to the Refrigerant 
Management Requirements Under the Clean Air Act and all subsequent addenda.   G/TBT/N/USA/1307  
 
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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: 30 October 2017  
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/2017/TBT/USA/17_4375_00_e.pdf