. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/PHL/45 
5 September 2005 
 (05-3843) 
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:   PHILIPPINES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of Product Standards 
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 [ 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):   Porcelain Dinnerware 
(ICS:  81.060.99) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Philippine National 
Standard (PNS) 155:2005 – Porcelain Dinnerware  – Specification (12 pages, in English) 
6. Description of content:   This notification cancels and replaces PNS 155:1987.  It specifies 
the requirements for the materials, design performance and manufacture of porcelain 
dinnerware.  Major changes done to PNS 155 we re as follows:  Other defined terms were 
aligned with PNS ASTM C 242;  tolerance for whiteness was changed from “65 percent 
minimum” to “86 percent minimum”;  tole rance for water absorption was changed from 
“not more 0.5%” to “0%”;  tolerances for di ssolved lead was changed from “limited to 5.0 
ppm” to “not exceed to 3.0 ppm”;  method fo r testing lead and cadmium was directed to 
“PNS ISO 6486-1”;  deleted the old procedure fo r testing the whiteness, new version stated 
that whiteness can be tested by using a hunter  whiteness or any suitable apparatus;  and 
boiling hour for test for water absorption w as changed from “four hours” to “five hours”. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
For users safety 
8. Relevant documents:   The following standards contain provisions, which through 
reference in the text form pa rt of this national standard. 
DPNS ASTM C 242:2005, Standard Terminol ogy of Ceramic Whitewares and Related 
Products. 
DPNS ISO 6486-1:2005, Ceramic ware, glass-ce ramic ware and glass dinnerware in contact 
with food – Release of lead and cadmium – Part 1: Test Method. 
Will appear in Official Gazette when adopted. G/TBT/N/PHL/45 
Page 2  
 
 9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }This shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
following the date of its publication in two newspapers of genera l circulation and/or 
Philippine Official Gazette. 
10. Final date for comments:   25 October 2005 
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:   
WTO/TBT Enquiry Point 
Bureau of Product Standards  
Department of Trade and Industry 361 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Ave.  Makati City, Philippines 
Telephone: (+632) 751 749;  751 3125;  751 3126  
Telefax: (+632) 751 4706;  751 3124;  751 4720 
E-mail:  bps@dti.dti.gov.ph