./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/130
14 August 1998
(98-3182)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  UNITES STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:   Environmental Protection Agency
3. Products covered (tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules deposited
with the WTO.  ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):
Vinclozolin on strawberries and stone fruit
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:   Voluntary Termination of Uses
(available in English, 3 pages)
5. Description of content:  The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a
notice in accordance with section 6(f)(1) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act, as amended.  The notice concerns receipt of a request by BASFCorporation to amend its registrations for products containing vinclozolin to terminate
certain uses.  During its review of the vinclozolin toxicology data base for the purpose of
making a decision concerning re-registration of the fungicide vinclozolin under the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA decided an additional tenfold
margin of safety, as specified in the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, was required to
protect the safety of infants and children.  Given prior EPA risk assessments of the acute
risk posed by vinclozolin, that use of the additional tenfold margin of safety would renderaggregate exposure to vinclozolin under existing use patterns to be unacceptably high.
BASF, the sole registrant of vinclozolin used on food commodities, recently requested
amendment to its vinclozolin registrations to terminate two uses of vinclozolin in order to
mitigate this risk.  BASF requested that EPA terminate the use of vinclozolin on stone fruits
and strawberries.
6. Objective and rationale: To reduce dietary exposure to vinclozolin
7. An international standard, guidelin e or recommendation does not exist [    ].
If an international standard, guideline or  recommendation exists, whenever possible,
identify deviations:   Vinclozolin has a number of MRLs under the Codex system,
including CXLs for peaches and strawberries.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  63 FR 40711,
30 July 1998G/SPS/N/USA/130
Page 2
9. Proposed date of adoption:  EPA proposes to approve these terminations expeditiously
after the close of the comment period unless BASF withdraws its request or a compelling
reason opposing termination is presented in public comments.
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  The EPA tolerance for vinclozolin on strawberries and
stone fruits is expected to be revoked early in the year 2000.  Circumstances for that and
existing stocks use are explained in the text of the Federal Register notice.
11. Final date for comments:  31 August 1998
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  Environmental Protection Agency
12. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telefax number and
E-mail address (if available) of other body:   
USDA/FAS/FSTSD
ATTN: Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 10271400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Phone:  (202) 720-2239
Fax:  (202) 690-0677
E-mail address:  ofsts@fas.usda.gov