  
  
G/TBT/N/USA/1587  
4 March 2020  
(20-1688) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AME RICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Department of Commerce [1614]  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regard ing the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Please submit comments to: USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point, Email: usatbtep@nist.gov  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [   ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other  [X]:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  
Conformity assessment; Quality (ICS 03.120)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Guidance on 
Federal Conformity Assessment Activities (5 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Notice of proposed rulemaking - The N ational Institute of 
Standards and Technology (NIST) requests comments on proposed revisions to 
regulations updating policy guidance on Federal agency use of conformity assessment 
that reflects advancement in conformity assessment concepts, and the evoluti on in 
Federal agency strategies and coordination in using and relying on conformity 
assessment.  
The provisions are solely intended to be used as guidance for agencies in their use and 
reliance on conformity assessment to meet agency requirements and do not  preempt the 
agency authority and responsibility to make decisions authorized by statute or required 
in establishing regulatory, procurement, or programmatic activities.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Quality requirements  
8. Relevant documents:   
• 85 Federal Register (FR) 7258, 7 February 2020; Title 15 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) Part 287:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2020-02-07/html/2020 -01714.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2020-02-07/pdf/2020 -01714.pdf  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  G/TBT/N/USA/1587  
 
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  10. Final date for comments:  7 April 2020  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/TBT/USA/20_1744_00_e.pdf  
 