G/TBT/N/USA/1667  
5 November 2020  
(20-7846) Page: 1/3 
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 AMERICA   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT) [1695]  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle com ments 
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 applicable):  Child 
restraint systems; Quality (ICS 03.120), Crash protection and restraint systems (ICS 
43.040.80)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Federal Motor 
Vehicle Safety Standards; Child Restraint Systems, Incorporation by Re ference (72 
page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); request for comment - 
In accordance with the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP -21), this 
document proposes to amend Federal Motor Vehicl e Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 213, 
"Child restraint systems," by updating the standard seat assembly on which child restraint 
systems (CRSs) are tested to determine their compliance with the standard's dynamic 
performance requirements. This NPRM proposes o ther amendments to modernize FMVSS 
No. 213, including a lessening of restrictions in some of the standard's owner registration 
and labeling requirements, to give manufacturers more flexibility in communicating with 
today's parents for the purposes of incre asing owner registrations for recall notification 
purposes and increasing the correct use of CRSs, respectively. NHTSA is also proposing 
ways to streamline the Agency's use of test dummies to assess restraint performance, 
including simplifying the standard 's compliance tests to make them more reflective of the 
real-world use of CRSs today. The purpose of these and other proposals is to modernize 
the seat assembly and other aspects of FMVSS No. 213, to help ensure the continued 
effectiveness of CRSs in curre nt and future vehicles.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Consumer information, labelling; Protection of human health or safety; 
Quality requirements; Cost saving and productivity enhancement  G/TBT/N/USA/1667  
 
- 2 - 
 
  8. Relevant documents:   
• 85 Federal Register (FR) 69388, 2 November 2020; Title 49 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) Part 571:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg /FR-2020-11-02/html/2020 -21477.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2020-11-02/pdf/2020 -21477.pdf  
This notice of proposed rulemaking; request for comment  is identified by Docket Number 
NHTSA -2020-0093. The Docket Folder is available on Regulations.gov at 
https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NHTSA -2020-0093 and provides access to 
primary documents, and will also provide access to comments received. Documents are 
also accessible from Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number. WTO Members 
and their stakeholders are asked  to submit comments to the USA TBT Enquiry Point . 
Comments received by the USA TBT Enquiry Point from WTO Members and their 
stakeholders will be shared with the regulator and will also be submitted to th e Docket  
on Regulations.gov if received within the comment period.  
A notice of proposed rulemaking, "Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards;   Child 
Restraint Systems" published 30 June 2005 at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pk g/FR-
2005-06-30/html/05 -12875.htm  and https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2005-
06-30/pdf/05 -12875.pdf  was notified as G/TBT/N/USA/125  and is identified by Docket 
Number NHTSA -2005-21243. The Docket Folder is available on Regulations.gov at 
https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NHTSA -2005-21243 and provides access to 
primary documents as well as comments received. Documents are also accessible from 
Regulations.gov  by searching t he Docket Number.  
A notice of proposed rulemaking, "Anthropomorphic Test Devices; Hybrid III -10 Year Old 
Child Test Dummy" published 13 July 2005 at https://ww w.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -
2005-07-13/html/05 -13659.htm  and https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2005-
07-13/pdf/05 -13659.pdf  was notified as G/TBT/N/USA/132 . The Docket Folder is 
available on Regulations.gov at https://www.regulations.gov/d ocket?D=NHTSA -2005-
21247  and provides access to primary documents as well as comments received.  
A supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking published 24 November 2010 notified as 
G/TBT/N/USA/132/Add.1 is identified by Docket Number NHTSA -2010-0158. The Docket 
Folder is available on Regulations.gov at https://www.regulations. gov/docket?D=NHTSA -
2010-0158and provides access to primary and supporting documents as well as 
comments received. Documents are also accessible from Regulations.gov  by searching 
the Docket Numbers.  
A final rule published 9 September 2011 notified as G/TBT/N/USA/132/Add.2 is identified 
by Docket Number NHTSA -2011-0139. The Docket Folder is available on Regulations.gov 
at https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NHTSA -2011-0139and provides access to 
primary documents as well as comments received. Documents are also accessible from 
Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Numbers.  
A final rule published 27 February 2012 notified as G/TBT/N/USA/132/Add.3 is identified 
by Docket Number NHTSA -2011-0176. The Docket Folder is available on Regulations.gov 
at https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NHTSA -2011-0176and provides access to 
primary documents as well as comments received. Documents are also accessible from 
Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number.  
A final rule published 27 February 2012 at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -
2012-02-27/html/2012 -4129.htm and http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2012-02-
27/pdf/2012 -4129.pdf was notified as G/TBT/N/USA/132/Add.4 is identified by Docket 
Number NHTSA -2011-0175. The Do cket Folder is available on Regulations.gov at 
https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NHTSA -2011-0175and provides access to 
primary documents. Documents are also accessible from  Regulations.gov  by searching 
the Docket Numbers.  
A final rule; response to petition for reconsideration published 25 February 2014 at 
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2014-02-25/html/2014 -03984.htm  and 
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2014-02-25/pdf/2014 -03984.pdf , notified as 
G/TBT/N/USA/132/Add.5  is identified by Docket Number NHTSA -2014-0026. The Docket 
Folder is available on Regulations.gov at https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NHTSA -G/TBT/N/USA/1667  
 
- 3 - 
 
  2014-0026 and provides access to primary documents as well as comments received. 
Documents are also accessible from Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number.  
Technical amendments were published 23 June 2015 and notified as 
G/TBT/N/USA/132/Add.6 . The Docket Number is NHTSA -2011-0175 and the Docket 
Folder is available on Regulations.gov at https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NHTSA -
2011-0175, and provides access to pri mary documents. Documents are also accessible 
from Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Numbers.  
A notice of proposed rulemaking, "Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Child Restraint 
Systems",  published on 31 August 2005 at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -
2005-08-31/html/05 -17218.htm  and https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2005-
08-31/pdf/05 -17218.pdf  was notified as G/TBT/N/USA/140  and identified by Docket 
Number NHTSA -2005-21245. The Docket Folder is available on Regulations.gov at 
https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NHTSA -2005-21245  and provides access to 
primary and supporting documents as well as comments received. Documents are also 
accessible from Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number.  
A supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking, "Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, 
Child Restraint Systems; Anthropomorphic Test Devices (Hybrid III 10 -Year-Old and 
Hybrid III 6 -Year-Old Child Dummies)", published on 23 January 2008 at 
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2008-01-23/html/E8 -856.htm  and 
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2008-01-23/pdf/E8 -856.pdf  was notified as 
G/TBT/N/USA/140/Add. 1 and a reopening of comment period published 26 March 2008 
at  https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2008-03-26/html/08 -1072.htm  and 
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2008-03-26/pdf/08 -1072.pdf  notified as 
G/TBT /N/USA/140/Add.2  are identified by Docket Number NHTSA -2007-0048. The 
Docket Folder is available on Regulations.gov at 
http://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NHTSA -2007-0048 and p rovides access to 
primary documents as well as comments received. Documents are also accessible from 
Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number.  
A final rule published 5 August 2008 was notified a s G/TBT/N/USA/140/Add.3  and 
identified by Docket Number NHTSA -2008-0137. The Docket Folder is available on 
Regulations.gov at https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NHTSA -2008-0137 and 
provides access to primary documents. Documents are also accessible from 
Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number.  
A notice of proposed rulemaking notified as G/TBT/N/USA/882  and a reopening of 
comment period notified as G/TBT/N/USA/882/Add.1  are identified by Docket Number 
NHTSA -2014-0012. The Docket Folder is available on  Regulations.gov at 
https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NHTSA -2014-0012 and provides access to 
primary documents as well as comments received. Documents are also accessible f rom 
Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number.  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  4 January 2021  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/TBT/USA/20_6743_00_e.pdf  
http://members.wto.org /crnattachments/2020/TBT/USA/20_6743_01_e.pdf