. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/USA/181 
31 March 2006 
 (06-1491) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   UNITED STATES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy  (EERE/DOE) (187)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:         
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):   Appliances:  Residential 
Electric and Gas Ranges and Microwave Ovens, Dishwashers, Dehumidifiers, and 
Commercial Clothes Washers  (HS Chapter  8415, 8419, 8422, 8450), (ICS:97)   
5. Title, number of pages and langu age(s) of the notified document:   Energy Conservation 
Standards for Residential Electric and Gas Ranges and Microwave Ovens, Dishwashers, 
Dehumidifiers, and Commercial Clothes Washers  (3 pages, in English) 
6. Description of content:   The Department of Energy (DOE or Department) will hold an 
informal public meeting to discuss and receive  comments on issues it will address in this 
rulemaking proceeding.  The Department is al so initiating the data collection process for 
establishing energy conservation standards for residential electric and gas ranges and ovens 
and microwave ovens, dishwashers, dehumidifiers, and commercial clothes washers.  The 
Department also encourages written comments on th ese subjects.  In addition, this effort is 
the result of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( EPACT 2005) directive to publish a final rule 
to determine whether the standards establis hed by EPACT 2005 should be amended no later 
than October 1, 2009, for dehumidifiers, and no  later than January 1, 2010, for commercial 
clothes washers. 
To inform stakeholders and facilitate this  process, DOE has prepared a Framework 
Document, a draft of which is available at: 
http://www.eere.energy.gov/build ings/appliance_standards/ 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Protection of environment, consumer safety. G/TBT/N/USA/181 
Page 2  
 
  8. Relevant documents:   71 Federal Register (FR) 15059, 27 March 2006.  Will appear in the 
Federal Register when adopted. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }To be determined 
10. Final date for comments:   11 May 2006 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses,  if available of the other body:  Full texts are 
now available on the Internet at URLs: 
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/24 22/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/E6-
4390.htm 
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/24 22/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/
E6-4390.pdf