WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/ECU/13 
28 September 2006 
 
 (06-4635) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  ECUADOR
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 y 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible:  
Dirección Nacional de Políticas de Comercio Exterior  (National Directorate of Foreign 
Trade Policy) Subsecretaría de Comercio Exterior e Integración  (Under-Secretariat of Foreign Trade 
and Integration) 
Ministerio de Comercio Exterior, Industrialización, Pesca y Competitividad  (Ministry of 
Foreign Trade, Industrialization, Fisheries and Competitiveness) Av. Amazonas y Av. Eloy Alfaro Quito, Ecuador 
Tel.: (+593) 2 256-6041, Ext. 161 
Fax: (+593) 2 254-1984 E-mail: abarbosa@micip.gov.ec; mepoveda@micip.gov.ec Web site: www.micip.gov.ec 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers and 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 applic able, otherwise national tariff heading.  
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   HS tariff item numbers 
7216;  7216.10.00;  7216.21.00;  7216.22.00;  7216.31.00;  7216.32.00;  7216.33.00;  
7216.40.00;  7216.50.00;  7216.61.00;  7216.69.00;  7216.91.00;  and 7216.99.00. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Proyecto de 
Reglamento Técnico Ecuatoriano RTE INEN 018 pa ra los perfiles estructurales de acero 
conformados en frío y perfiles estruc turales de acero laminados en caliente  (Draft Technical 
Regulation of the Ecuadorian Standardization Institute No. RTE INEN 018 on structural 
angles, shapes and sections of cold-formed steel and structural angles, shapes and sections of 
hot-rolled steel) (7 pages, in Spanish). G/TBT/N/ECU/13 
Page 2  
 
  6. Description of content:   The notified draft Regulation establishes the technical 
requirements for structural angles, shapes and sections both of cold-formed steel and of hot-
rolled steel, with a view to ensuring safety nationwide, protecting human and animal life, the environment and geographical conditions, and preventing practices likely to mislead or harm end-users. 
 This draft Regulation applies to the following types of structural angles, shapes and 
sections, either domestically produced or imported, and marketed in Ecuador: 
  Structural angles, shapes and sections, cold-formed;  Angles, shapes and sections of hot-rolled steel. 
 
 These products fall under the following tariff classifications:  
CLASSIFICATION  DESCRIPTION 
7216    Angles, shapes and sectio ns of iron or non-alloy steel 
7216.10.00 - U, I or H sections, not fu rther worked than hot-rolled, hot-
drawn or extruded, of a height of less than 80 mm 
   - L or T sections, not furt her worked than hot-rolled, hot-
drawn or extruded, of a height of less than 80 mm: 
7216.21.00   -- L sections 
7216.22.00   -- T sections 
- U, I or H sections, not furthe r worked than hot-rolled, hot-
drawn or extruded, of a height of 80 mm or more: 
7216.31.00   -- U sections 7216.32.00   -- I sections 7216.33.00   -- H sections 
7216.40.00 - L or T sections, not furt her worked than hot-rolled, hot-
drawn or extruded, of a height of 80 mm or more 
7216.50.00  - Other angles, shapes and sections, not further worked than 
hot-rolled, hot-drawn or extruded 
  - Angles, shapes a nd sections not further worked than cold-
formed or cold-finished: 
7216.61.00   --  Obtained from flat-rolled products 
7216.69.00    -- Other 
    -  O t h e r :  7216.91.00   -- Cold-formed or cold-finishe d from flat-rolled products  
7216.99.00   -- Other 
 The notified draft Regulation establishes the definitions, general specifications, 
product requirements, labelling requirements, conformity ass essment tests, reference 
standards, procedures for demonstrating conf ormity and verifying compliance with the 
Regulation, inspection and supe rvisory authority, penalties, and liability of conformity 
assessment bodies. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
 Ensure safety nationwide, protect human life, the environment and geographical 
conditions, and prevent practices likel y to mislead or harm end-users.  G/TBT/N/ECU/13 
 Page 3 
 
 
  8. Relevant documents: 
1. Publication where the notice a ppears: http://www.micip.gov.ec,  
http://www.inen.gov.ec; 
2. Proposal and basic document: Draft Technical Regulation of the Ecuadorian 
Standardization Institute No. RTE INEN 018; 
3. Publication in which proposal will appear following adoption: Registro Oficial  
(Official Journal). 
9. Proposed date of adoption: 
Proposed date of entry into force:  60 days after circulation by the 
WTO Secretariat 
Six months after adoption 
10. Final date for comments:   60 days after circulati on by the WTO Secretariat. 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X ], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and E-mail and Web site add resses, if available, of other body:  
Dirección Nacional de Políticas de Comercio Exterior 
Subsecretaría de Comercio Exterior e Integración Ministerio de Comercio Exterior, Industrialización, Pesca y Competitividad Av. Amazonas y Av. Eloy Alfaro 
Quito, Ecuador 
Tel.: (+593) 2 256-6041, Ext. 161 Fax: (+593) 2 254-1984 E-mail: abarbosa@micip.gov.ec Web site: www.micip.gov.ec 
 
Regulatory Agency: Instituto Ecuatoriano de Normalización Baquerizo Moreno E8-29 y Diego de Almagro Quito, Ecuador Tel.: (+593) 2 252-8556 / 250-1885 to 250-1887 
Fax: (+593) 2 256-7815 
E-mail: furresta@inen.gov.ec Web site: www.inen.gov.ec