. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1385 
28 August 2006 
 (06-4017) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  UNITED STATES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Raw agricultural commodities;  herbicid es;  cotton;  herbicides, wheat, and 
barley, canola and soybeans;  field corn.  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Any 
US trade partners  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Final rule.  Inert 
Ingredient;  Revocation of the Tetrahydrofu rfuryl Alcohol (THFA) Tolerance Exemption 
(Available in English, 4 pages).  
6. Description of content:   This final rule revokes the exemption from the requirement of a 
tolerance for THFA and establishes a limited tole rance exemption for THFA for 18 months.  
Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol is exempt from the requirement of a tolerance in or on all raw 
agricultural commodities when used in accordance with good agricultural practices as an 
inert ingredient applied only:  (a) For use as a seed treatment;  (b) For applications prior to 
planting and at the time of planting;  (c) For use on cotton;  (d) For use in herbicides with 
one application to wheat and barley prior to the pre-boot stage, and two applications to canola and soybeans pre-bloom;  (e) For use in herbicides with two applications to field corn up to 24 inches tall (V 5 stage). 
EPA maintains its conclusion that THFA's to lerance exemption does not meet the safety 
standard, therefore, this tolerance exemption is  revoked in this final rule.  The revocation 
will take effect 18 months after th e publication date of this final rule in the Federal Register.  
EPA has evaluated the scope of the new limit ed THFA tolerance exemption and has added 
limited uses on canola, soybeans, and field corn , and has clarified that applications will now 
be permitted prior to planting. 
The establishment of the new tolerance exem ption for THFA becomes effective on the 
publication date of this final rule in the Federal Register, which is 9 February 2008.  
7. Objective and rationale: [ X ] food safety,  [   ] animal health,  [ X ] plant protection, 
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [   ] protect territory from other damage from pests   G/SPS/N/USA/1385 
Page 2  
 
  8. International standard, guideline or recommendation: 
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [ X ] None 
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:   
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Federal Register: 
9 August 2006 (Volume 71, Number 153, Pages:  45411 - 45415),  
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA- PEST/2006/August/Day-09/p12591.htm  
Available in English.  
10. Proposed date of adoption:  This rule is effective 9 February 2008.  This document was 
posted in the Federal Register as a notice on 12 April 2006.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Not stated 
12. Final date for comments:  Objections and requests for hearings should be submitted on or 
before 10 October 2006.  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:  Registration Division (7505P), Office of Pesticide Programs, 
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-
0001  
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notifi cation authority, [   ] National enquiry 
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Ms Deborah Thompson, United States SPS Nati onal Notification Authority, USDA Foreign 
Agricultural Service, Food Safety & Technical Services Division, Stop 1027, Washington D.C. 20250.  Tel:  202-720-1301;  Fax:  202-690-0677;  E-mail:  fstsd@fas.usda.gov