. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/HKG/38 
10 January 2011  
 (11-0116) 
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:  HONG KONG, CHINA
  
If applicable, name of local governme nt involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible: 
Water Supplies Department 
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 48/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, 
Hong Kong 
Tel.:  (+852) 2829 4422 Fax:  (+852) 2802 2579 E-mail:  mailto:wels_consultation@wsd.gov.hk
 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and website 
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 [   ], 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):  Household washing 
machines each of a dry linen capac ity not exceeding 10 kg  (HS 8451110). 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  The Voluntary Water 
Efficiency Labelling Scheme on Washing Machines (24 pages, including annexes in English). 
6. Description of content:  Hong Kong, China will introduce a voluntary water efficiency 
labelling scheme on washing machines.  Manufactur ers, importers or other related parties in 
the washing machine business can apply for re gistration of their wash ing machines under the 
scheme.  Washing machines complying with th e scheme participation requirement will be 
registered under the scheme and will be rated to different water efficiency grades according to 
their water consumption measured during the en ergy consumption test in accordance with 
IEC 60456, JIS C 9606, or other equivalent inte rnational standards as being approved.  
Registered washing machines will be allowed to  affix water efficiency labels of specified 
format to them showing their water e fficiency grades and water consumption.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
– To provide the consumers with the inform ation on the levels of water consumption 
and efficiency ratings of the washing machines;  
– To facilitate consumers to select water efficient washing machines; 
– To promote public awareness on water co nservation and effici ency issues; and 
– To achieve actual water saving. G/TBT/N/HKG/38 
Page 2  
 
  8. Relevant documents:   Nil 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }90 days after circulation by the WTO 
Secretariat 
10. Final date for comments:  60 days after circulation by the WTO Secretariat. 
11. Text available from: National enquiry point [X], or address, telephone and fax numbers, 
e-mail and website addresses, if available of the other body:  
Water Supplies Department 
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 48/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai 
Hong Kong 
Tel.:  (+852) 2829 4422 
Fax:  (+852) 2802 2579 E-mail:  mailto:wels_consultation@wsd.gov.hk
 
The scheme document is uploaded to the following link: 
http://www.wsd.gov.hk/filemanager/en/share /wels/wel_scheme_doc_washing_machines.pdf