G/TBT/N/USA/1334  
 
19 January 2018  
(18-0522) 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: Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) [1356]  
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): Organics  
Farming and forestry (ICS 65.020), Food products in gener al (ICS 67.040).  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: National Organic 
Program; Amendments to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (Crops, 
Livestock and Handling) (27 page(s), in English)   
6. Description of content: This proposed rule would amend the National List of Allowed and 
Prohibited Substances (National List) provisions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 
(USDA's) organic regulations to implement recommendations submitted to the Secr etary of 
Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). This rule 
proposes to change the use restrictions for seventeen substances allowed for organic 
production or handling on the National List: Micronutrients; chlorhexidine; para siticides; 
fenbendazole; moxidectin; xylazine; lidocaine; procaine; methionine; excipients; alginic 
acid; flavors; carnauba wax; chlorine; cellulose; colors; and, glycerin. This rule also 
proposes to add sixteen new substances on the National List to be al lowed in organic 
production or handling: Hypochlorous acid; magnesium oxide; squid byproducts; activated 
charcoal; calcium borogluconate; calcium propionate; injectable vitamins, minerals, and 
electrolytes; kaolin pectin; mineral oil; propylene glycol; aci dified sodium chlorite; zinc 
sulfate; potassium lactate; and, sodium lactate. In addition, this proposed rule would list 
the botanical pesticide, rotenone, as a prohibited substance in organic crop production. 
Finally, this proposed rule would remove iverm ectin as an allowed parasiticide for use in 
organic livestock production.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: Protection of human health or safety  
8. Relevant documents:  83 Federal Register (FR) 2498, 17 January 2018; Title 7 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 205.  Will appear in the Federal Register when adopted .  G/TBT/N/USA/1334  
 
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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: 19 March 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_0459_00_e.pdf