PART THREE

TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE

Chapter Nine

Standards-Related Measures

Article 901: Scope

1. This Chapter applies to any standards-related measure of a

Party, other than those covered by Chapter Seven, Subchapter B

(Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures), that may, directly or

indirectly, affect trade in goods or services between the

Parties, and to measures of the Parties relating to such

measures.

2. Purchasing specifications prepared by governmental bodies

for production or consumption requirements of such bodies shall

be governed exclusively by Chapter Ten (Government Procurement).

Article 902: Extent of Obligations

1. Article 105 (Extent of Obligations) does not apply to this

Chapter.

2. Each Party shall seek, through appropriate measures, to

ensure observance of Articles 904 through 908 by provincial or

state governments and by non-governmental standardizing bodies in

its territory.

Article 903: Affirmation of Agreement on Technical Barriers

to Trade and Other Agreements

Further to Article 104, the Parties affirm with respect to

each other their existing rights and obligations relating to

standards-related measures under the GATT Agreement on Technical

Barriers to Trade and all other international agreements,

including environmental and conservation agreements, to which

such Parties are party.

Article 904: Basic Rights and Obligations

Right to Take Standards-Related Measures

1. Each Party may, in accordance with this Agreement, adopt,

maintain and apply standards-related measures, including those

relating to safety, the protection of human, animal and plant

life and health, the environment, and consumers, and measures to

ensure their enforcement or implementation. Such measures

include those to prohibit the importation of a good of another

Party or the provision of a service by a service provider of

another Party that fails to comply with the applicable

requirements of such measures or to complete its approval

procedures.

Right to Establish Level of Protection

2. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Chapter, each

Party may, in pursuing its legitimate objectives of safety or the

protection of human, animal or plant life or health, the

environment, or consumers, establish the levels of protection

that it considers appropriate in accordance with Article 907(3).

Non-Discriminatory Treatment

3. Each Party shall, in respect of its standards-related

measures, accord to goods or service providers of another Party:

(a) national treatment in accordance with Article 301

(Market Access) or Article 1202 (Cross-Border Trade in

Services); and

(b) treatment no less favorable than that it accords to

like goods, or in like circumstances to service

providers, of any other country.

Unnecessary Obstacles

4. No Party may prepare, adopt, maintain or apply any

standards-related measure with a view to or with the effect of

creating an unnecessary obstacle to trade between the Parties.

An unnecessary obstacle to trade shall not be deemed to be

created if:

(a) the demonstrable purpose of such measure is to achieve

a legitimate objective; and

(b) such measure does not operate to exclude goods of

another Party that meet that legitimate objective.

Article 905: Use of International Standards

1. Each Party shall use, as a basis for its standards-related

measures, international standards or international standards

whose completion is imminent, except where such standards would

be an ineffective or inappropriate means to fulfill its

legitimate objectives, for example because of fundamental

climatic, geographical, technological or infrastructural factors,

scientific justification or the level of protection that the

Party considers appropriate.

2. A Party's standards-related measure that conforms to an

international standard shall be presumed to be consistent with

Article 904(3) and (4).

3. Paragraph 1 shall not be construed to prevent a Party, in

pursuing its legitimate objectives, from adopting, maintaining,

or applying any standards-related measure that results in a

higher level of protection than would be achieved if such measure

were based on an international standard.

Article 906: Compatibility and Equivalence

1. Recognizing the crucial role of standards-related measures

in promoting and protecting legitimate objectives, the Parties

shall, in accordance with this Chapter, work jointly to enhance

the level of safety and of protection of human, animal and plant

life and health, the environment and consumers.

2. Without reducing the level of safety or of protection of

human, animal or plant life or health, the environment or

consumers, without prejudice to the rights of any Party under

this Chapter, and taking into account international

standardization activities, the Parties shall, to the greatest

extent practicable, make compatible their respective standards-

related measures, so as to facilitate trade in a good or service

between the Parties.

3. Further to Articles 902 and 905, a Party shall, upon the

request of another Party, seek, through appropriate measures, to

promote the compatibility of a specific standard or conformity

assessment procedure that is maintained in its territory with the

standards or conformity assessment procedures maintained in the

territory of the other Party.

4. Each importing Party shall treat a technical regulation

adopted or maintained by an exporting Party as equivalent to its

own where the exporting Party, in cooperation with the importing

Party, demonstrates to the satisfaction of the importing Party

that its technical regulation adequately fulfills the importing

Party's legitimate objectives.

5. The importing Party shall provide to the exporting Party,

upon request, its reasons in writing for not treating a technical

regulation as equivalent under paragraph 4.

6. Each Party shall, wherever possible, accept the results of a

conformity assessment procedure conducted in the territory of

another Party, provided that it is satisfied that such procedure

offers an assurance, equivalent to that provided by a procedure

it conducts or a procedure conducted in its territory the results

of which it accepts, that the relevant good or service complies

with the applicable technical regulation or standard adopted or

maintained in the Party's territory.

7. Prior to acceptance of results of a conformity assessment

procedure pursuant to paragraph 6, and to enhance confidence in

the continued reliability of each other's conformity assessment

results, the Parties may consult on such matters as the technical

competence of the conformity assessment bodies involved,

including verified compliance with relevant international

standards through such means as accreditation.

Article 907: Assessment of Risk

1. A Party may, in pursuing its legitimate objectives, conduct

an assessment of risk. In conducting such assessment, a Party

may consider, among other factors relating to a good or service:

(a) available scientific evidence or technical information;

(b) intended end uses;

(c) processes or production, operating, inspection,

sampling or testing methods; or

(d) environmental conditions.

2. Where a Party conducting an assessment of risk determines

that available scientific evidence or other information is

insufficient to complete the assessment, it may adopt a

provisional technical regulation on the basis of available

relevant information. The Party shall, within a reasonable

period after information sufficient to complete the assessment of

risk is presented to it, complete its assessment, review and

where appropriate revise the provisional technical regulation in

light of such assessment.

3. Where a Party pursuant to Article 904(2) establishes the

level of protection that it considers appropriate and conducts an

assessment of risk, it should avoid arbitrary or unjustifiable

distinctions between similar goods or services in the level of

protection it considers appropriate, if such distinctions:

(a) result in arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination

against goods or service providers of another Party;

(b) constitute a disguised restriction on trade between the

Parties; or

(c) discriminate between similar goods or services for the

same use under the same conditions that pose the same

level of risk and provide similar benefits.

Article 908: Conformity Assessment

1. The Parties shall, further to Article 906 and recognizing

the existence of substantial differences in the structure,

organization, and operation of conformity assessment procedures

in their respective territories, make compatible to the greatest

extent practicable such procedures.

2. Recognizing that it should be to the mutual advantage of the

Parties concerned and except as set out in Annex 908(2), each

Party shall accredit, approve, license or otherwise recognize

conformity assessment bodies in the territory of another Party on

terms no less favorable than those accorded to such bodies in its

territory.

3. With respect to a Party's conformity assessment procedure,

such Party shall:

(a) not adopt or maintain any such procedure that is

stricter, nor apply such procedure more strictly, than

necessary to give it confidence that a good or a

service conforms with an applicable technical

regulation or standard, taking into account the risks

that non-conformity would create;

(b) initiate and complete such procedure as expeditiously

as possible;

(c) in accordance with Article 904(3), undertake processing

of applications in non-discriminatory order;

(d) publish the normal processing period for each such

procedure or communicate the anticipated processing

period to an applicant upon request;

(e) ensure that the competent body

(i) upon receipt of an application, promptly

examines the completeness of the documentation

and informs the applicant in a precise and

complete manner of any deficiency,

(ii) transmits to the applicant as soon as possible

the results of the conformity assessment

procedure in a form that is precise and complete

so that such applicant may take any necessary

corrective action,

(iii) where the application is deficient, proceeds as

far as practicable with such procedure if the

applicant so requests, and

(iv) informs the applicant, upon request, of the

status of the application and the reasons for

any delay;

(f) limit the information the applicant is required to

supply to that necessary to conduct such procedure and

to determine appropriate fees;

(g) accord confidential or proprietary information arising

from, or supplied in connection with, the conduct of

such procedure for a good of another Party or for a

service provided by a person of another Party

(i) the same treatment as that for a good of such

Party or a service provided by a person of such

Party, and

(ii) in any event, treatment that protects an

applicant's legitimate commercial interests to

the extent provided under the Party's law;

(h) ensure that any fee it imposes for conducting such

procedure is no higher for a good of another Party or a

service provider of another Party than is equitable in

relation to any such fee imposed for its like goods or

service providers or for like goods or service

providers of any other country, taking into account

communication, transportation and other related costs;

(i) ensure that the location of facilities at which a

conformity assessment procedure is conducted does not

cause unnecessary inconvenience to an applicant or its

agent;

(j) limit such procedure, for a good or service modified

subsequent to a determination that such good or service

conforms to the applicable technical regulation or

standard, to that necessary to determine that such good

or service continues to conform to such technical

regulation or standard; and

(k) limit any requirement regarding samples of a good to

that which is reasonable, and ensure that the selection

of samples does not cause unnecessary inconvenience to

an applicant or its agent.

4. Each Party shall apply, with appropriate modifications, the

relevant provisions of paragraph 3 to its approval procedures.

5. Each Party shall, upon the request of another Party, take

such reasonable measures as may be available to it to facilitate

access in its territory for conformity assessment activities.

6. Each Party shall give sympathetic consideration to a request

by another Party to negotiate agreements for the mutual

recognition of the results of that other Party's conformity

assessment procedures.

Article 909: Notification, Publication, and Provision of

Information

1. Further to Articles 1802 (Publication) and 1803

(Notification and Provision of Information), each Party proposing

to adopt or modify a technical regulation, shall:

(a) at least 60 days prior to the adoption or modification

of such technical regulation, other than a law, publish

a notice and notify in writing the other Parties of the

proposed measure in such a manner as to enable

interested persons to become acquainted with such

measure, except that in the case of any such measure

related to perishable goods, each Party shall, to the

greatest extent practicable, publish such notice and

provide such notification at least 30 days prior to the

adoption or modification of such measure, but no later

than when notification is provided to domestic

producers;

(b) identify in such notice and notification the good or

service to which the proposed measure would apply, and

shall provide a brief description of the objective of,

and reasons for, such measure;

(c) provide a copy of the proposed measure to any Party or

interested person that so requests, and shall, wherever

possible, identify any provision that deviates in

substance from relevant international standards; and

(d) without discrimination, allow other Parties and

interested persons to make comments in writing and

shall, upon request, discuss such comments and take

such comments and the results of such discussions into

account.

2. Each Party proposing to adopt or modify a standard or any

conformity assessment procedure not otherwise considered to be a

technical regulation shall, where an international standard

relevant to the proposed measure does not exist or such measure

is not substantially the same as an international standard, and

where the measure may have a significant effect on the trade of

the other Parties:

(a) at an early appropriate stage, publish a notice and

provide a notification of the type required in

paragraphs 1 (a) and (b); and

(b) observe paragraphs 1 (c) and (d).

3. Each Party shall seek, through appropriate measures, to

ensure, with respect to a technical regulation of a state or

provincial government other than a local government:

(a) that, at an early appropriate stage, a notice and

notification of the type required under paragraphs 1

(a) and (b) are made prior to their adoption; and

(b) observance of paragraphs 1 (c) and (d).

4. Where a Party considers it necessary to address an urgent

problem relating to safety or to protection of human, animal or

plant life or health, the environment or consumers, it may omit

any step set out in paragraphs 1 or 3, provided that upon

adoption of a standards-related measure it shall:

(a) immediately provide to the other Parties a notification

of the type required under paragraph 1(b), including a

brief description of the urgent problem;

(b) provide a copy of such measure to any Party or

interested person that so requests; and

(c) without discrimination, allow other Parties and

interested persons to make comments in writing, and

shall, upon request, discuss such comments and take

such comments and the results of such discussions into

account.

5. Each Party shall, except where necessary to address an

urgent problem referred to in paragraph 4, allow a reasonable

period between the publication of a standards-related measure and

the date that it becomes effective to allow time for interested

persons to adapt to such measure.

6. Where a Party allows non-governmental persons in its

territory to be present during the process of development of

standards-related measures, it shall also allow non-governmental

persons from the territories of the other Parties to be present.

7. Each Party shall notify the other Parties of the development

of, amendment to, or change in the application of its standards-

related measures no later than the time at which it notifies non-

governmental persons in general or the relevant sector in its

territory.

8. Each Party shall seek, through appropriate measures, to

ensure the observance of paragraphs 6 and 7 by a provincial or

state government, and by non-governmental standardizing bodies in

its territory.

9. Each Party shall designate a government authority

responsible for the implementation at the federal level of the

notification provisions of this Article, and shall notify the

other Parties thereof. Where a Party designates two or more

government authorities for such purpose, it shall provide to the

other Parties complete and unambiguous information on the scope

of responsibility of each such authority.

Article 910: Inquiry Points

1. Each Party shall ensure that there is an inquiry point that

is able to answer all reasonable inquiries from other Parties and

interested persons, and to provide relevant documents regarding:

(a) any standards-related measure proposed, adopted or

maintained in its territory at the federal, provincial,

or state government level;

(b) the membership and participation of such Party, or its

relevant federal, provincial or state government

authorities, in international and regional

standardizing bodies and conformity assessment systems,

and in bilateral and multilateral arrangements

regarding standards-related measures, and the

provisions of such systems and arrangements;

(c) the location of notices published pursuant to Article

909, or where such information can be obtained;

(d) the location of the inquiry points referred to in

paragraph 3; and

(e) such Party's procedures for assessment of risk, factors

it considers in conducting such assessment and in

establishing, pursuant to Article 904(2), the levels of

protection that it considers appropriate.

2. Where a Party designates more than one inquiry point, it

shall:

(a) provide to the other Parties complete and unambiguous

information on the scope of responsibility of each

inquiry point; and

(b) ensure that any enquiry addressed to an incorrect

inquiry point is promptly conveyed to the correct

inquiry point.

3. Each Party shall take such reasonable measures as may be

available to it to ensure that there is at least one enquiry

point that is able to answer all reasonable enquiries from other

Parties and interested persons and to provide relevant documents

or information as to where they can be obtained regarding:

(a) any standard or conformity assessment procedure

proposed, adopted or maintained by non-governmental

standardizing bodies in its territory; and

(b) the membership and participation of relevant non-

governmental bodies in its territory in international

and regional standardizing bodies and conformity

assessment systems.

4. Each Party shall ensure that where copies of documents are

requested by another Party or by interested persons in accordance

with this Chapter, they are supplied at the same price, apart

from the actual cost of delivery, as the price for domestic

purchase.

Article 911: Technical Cooperation

1. Each Party shall, upon the request of another Party:

(a) provide to that Party technical advice, information and

assistance on mutually agreed terms and conditions to

enhance that Party's standards-related measures, and

related activities, processes, and systems;

(b) provide to that Party information on its technical

cooperation programs regarding standards-related

measures relating to specific areas of interest; and

(c) consult with that Party during the development of, or

prior to the adoption or change in the application of,

any standards-related measure.

2. Each Party shall encourage its standardizing bodies to

cooperate with the standardizing bodies of the other Parties in

their participation, as appropriate, in standardizing activities,

such as through membership in international standardizing bodies.

Article 912: Limitations on the Provision of Information

Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed as requiring a

Party to:

(a) communicate, publish texts, or provide particulars or

copies of documents other than in an official language

of such Party; or

(b) furnish any information the disclosure of which would

impede law enforcement or otherwise be contrary to the

public interest, or would prejudice the legitimate

commercial interests of particular enterprises.

Article 913: Committee on Standards-Related Measures

1. The Parties hereby establish a Committee on Standards-

Related Measures, comprising representatives of each Party.

2. The Committee's functions shall include:

(a) monitoring the implementation and administration of

this Chapter, including the progress of the

subcommittees and working groups established under

paragraph 4, and the operation of the enquiry points

established under Article 910;

(b) facilitating the process by which the Parties make

compatible their standards-related measures;

(c) providing a forum for the Parties to consult on issues

relating to standards-related measures, including the

provision of technical advice and recommendations under

Article 914;

(d) enhancing cooperation on the development, application

and enforcement of standards-related measures;

(e) considering non-governmental, regional and multilateral

developments regarding standards-related measures,

including under the GATT; and

(f) reporting annually to the Commission on the

implementation of this Chapter.

3. The Committee shall meet upon the request of any Party and,

unless the Parties otherwise agree, at least once each year.

4. The Committee may, as it considers appropriate, establish

and determine the scope and mandate of subcommittees or working

groups, comprising representatives of each Party. Each such

subcommittee or working group may:

(a) as it considers necessary or desirable, include or

consult with

(i) representatives of non-governmental bodies,

including standardizing bodies,

(ii) scientists, and

(iii) technical experts; and

(b) determine its work program, taking into account

relevant international activities.

5. Further to paragraph 4, the Committee shall establish:

(a) the following subcommittees or working groups

(i) Land Transportation Standards Subcommittee, in

accordance with Annex 913-A,

(ii) Telecommunications Standards Subcommittee, in

accordance with Annex 913-B,

(iii) Automotive Standards Council, in accordance with

Annex 913-C, and

(iv) Subcommittee on Labelling of Textile and Apparel

Goods, in accordance with Annex 913-D;

(b) such other subcommittees or working groups as it

considers appropriate to address any topic, including:

(i) identification and nomenclature for goods

subject to standards-related measures,

(ii) quality and identity standards and

technical regulations,

(iii) packaging, labelling, and presentation of

consumer information, including languages,

measurement systems, ingredients, sizes,

terminology, symbols, and related matters,

(iv) product approval and post-market

surveillance programs,

(v) principles for the accreditation and

recognition of conformity assessment

bodies, procedures, and systems,

(vi) development and implementation of a uniform

chemical hazard classification and

communication system,

(vii) enforcement programs, including training

and inspections by regulatory, analytical,

and enforcement personnel,

(viii) promotion and implementation of good

laboratory practices,

(ix) promotion and implementation of good

manufacturing practices,

(x) criteria for assessment of potential

environmental hazards of goods,

(xi) methodologies for assessment of risk,

(xii) guidelines for testing of chemicals,

including industrial and agricultural

chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and

biologicals,

(xiii) methods by which consumer protection,

including matters relating to consumer

redress, can be facilitated, and

(xiv) extension of the application of this Chapter to

other services.

6. Each Party shall, upon the request of another Party, take

such reasonable measures as may be available to it to provide for

the participation in the work of the Committee, where and as

appropriate, of representatives of provincial or state

governments in the activities of the Committee.

7. A Party requesting technical advice, information, or

assistance pursuant to Article 911 shall notify the Committee

which shall facilitate any such request.

Article 914: Technical Consultations

1. Where a Party requests consultations regarding the

application of this Chapter to a Party's standards-related

measure, and so notifies the Committee, the Committee may

facilitate such consultations, if it does not consider the matter

itself, by referring the matter for non-binding technical advice

or recommendations to a subcommittee or working group, including

an ad hoc subcommittee or working group, or to another forum.

2. The Committee should consider any matter referred to it

under paragraph 1 as expeditiously as possible and promptly

forward to the Parties any technical advice or recommendations

that it develops or receives concerning the matter. The Parties

involved shall provide a written response to the Committee

concerning the technical advice or recommendations within such

time as the Committee may request.

3. Where the involved Parties have had recourse to

consultations facilitated by the Committee under paragraph 1,

such consultations shall, if agreed by the Parties involved,

constitute consultations under Article 2006 (Consultations).

4. The Parties confirm that a Party asserting that a standards-

related measure of another Party is inconsistent with the

provisions of this Chapter shall have the burden of establishing

such inconsistency.

Article 915: Definitions

1. For purposes of this Chapter:

approval procedure means any registration, notification, or other

mandatory administrative procedure for obtaining permission for a

good or service to be produced, marketed, or used for a stated

purpose or under stated conditions;

assessment of risk means evaluation of the potential for adverse

effects;

conformity assessment procedure means any procedure used,

directly or indirectly, to determine that a relevant technical

regulation or standard is fulfilled, including sampling, testing,

inspection, evaluation, verification, monitoring, auditing,

assurance of conformity, accreditation, registration, or approval

used for such a purpose, but does not mean an approval procedure;

international standard means a standards-related measure, or

other guide or recommendation, adopted by an international

standardizing body and made available to the public;

international standardizing body means a standardizing body whose

membership is open to the relevant bodies of at least all the

parties to the GATT Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade,

including the International Organization for Standardization

(ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Codex

Alimentarius Commission, the World Health Organization (WHO), the

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International

Telecommunications Union (ITU); or any other body that the

Parties designate;

land transportation service means a transportation service

provided by means of motor carrier or rail;

legitimate objective includes an objective such as:

(a) safety;

(b) protection of human, animal or plant life or health,

the environment or consumers (including matters

relating to quality and identifiability of goods or

services); or

(c) sustainable development,

considering, among other things, where appropriate, fundamental

climatic or other geographical factors, technological or

infrastructural factors, or scientific justification but does not

include the protection of domestic production;

make compatible means bring different standards-related measures

of the same scope approved by different standardizing bodies to a

level such that they are either identical, equivalent, or have

the effect of permitting goods or services to be used in place of

one another or fulfill the same purpose;

services means land transportation services and telecommunication

services;

standard means a document, approved by a recognized body, that

provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or

characteristics for products, or related processes and production

methods, or for services or related operating methods with which

compliance is not mandatory. It may also include or deal

exclusively with terminology, symbols, packaging, marking or

labelling requirements as they apply to a product, process or

production or operating method;

standardizing body means a body having recognized activities in

standardization;

standards-related measure means a standard, technical regulation

or conformity assessment procedure;

technical regulation means a document which lays down product

characteristics or their related processes and production

methods, or for services or operating methods, including the

applicable administrative provisions, with which compliance is

mandatory. It may also include or deal exclusively with

terminology, symbols, packaging, marking or labelling

requirements as they apply to a product, process or production or

operating method;

telecommunication service means a service provided by means of

the transmission and reception of signals by any electromagnetic

means.

2. Except as they are otherwise defined in this Agreement,

other terms in this Chapter shall be interpreted in accordance

with their ordinary meaning in context and in the light of the

objectives of this Agreement, and where appropriate by reference

to the terms presented in the sixth edition of the ISO/IEC Guide

2: 1991, General Terms and Their Definitions Concerning

Standardization and Related Activities.

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ANNEX 908.2

Transitional Rules for Conformity Assessment Procedures

1. Except in respect of governmental conformity assessment

bodies, Article 908(2) shall impose no obligation and confer no

right on Mexico until four years after the date of entry into

force of this Agreement.

2. Where a Party charges a reasonable fee, limited in amount to

the approximate cost of the service rendered, to accredit,

approve, license, or otherwise recognize a conformity assessment

body in the territory of another Party, it need not, prior to

December 31, 1998 or such earlier date as the Parties may agree,

charge such a fee to a conformity assessment body in its

territory.

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ANNEX 913 - A

Land Transportation Standards Subcommittee

1. The Land Transportation Standards Subcommittee, established

under Article 913, shall comprise representatives of each Party.

2. The Subcommittee shall implement the following work program

for making compatible the Parties' relevant standards-related

measures for:

(a) motor carrier operations,

(i) no later than one and one-half years from the

date of entry into force of this Agreement, for

non-medical standards-related measures

respecting drivers, including measures relating

to the age of and language used by drivers,

(ii) no later than two and one-half years from the

date of entry into force of this Agreement, for

medical standards-related measures respecting

drivers,

(iii) no later than three years from the date of entry

into force of this Agreement, for standards-

related measures respecting vehicles, including

measures relating to weights and dimensions,

tires, brakes, parts and accessories, securement

of cargo, maintenance and repair, inspections,

and emissions and environmental pollution levels

not covered by the Automotive Standards work

program established under Annex 913-C,

(iv) no later than three years from the date of entry

into force of this Agreement, for standards-

related measures respecting each Party's

supervision of motor carriers' safety

compliance, and

(v) no later than three years from the date of entry

into force of this Agreement, for standards-

related measures respecting road signs;

(b) rail operations,

(i) no later than one year from the date of entry

into force of this Agreement, for standards-

related measures respecting operating personnel

that are relevant to cross-border operations,

and

(ii) no later than one year from the date of entry

into force of this Agreement, for standards-

related measures respecting locomotives and

other rail equipment; and

(c) transportation of dangerous goods, no later than six

years from the date of entry into force of this

Agreement, using as their basis the United Nations

Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, or

such other standards as the Parties may agree.

3. The Subcommittee may address other related standards-related

measures as it considers appropriate.

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ANNEX 913 - B

Telecommunications Standards Subcommittee

1. The Telecommunications Standards Subcommittee, established

under Article 913, shall comprise representatives of each Party.

2. The Subcommittee shall, within six months of the date of

entry into force of this Agreement, develop a work program,

including a timetable, for making compatible the Parties'

standards-related measures for authorized equipment as defined in

Chapter 13 (Telecommunications).

3. The Subcommittee may address other appropriate standards-

related matters respecting telecommunications equipment or

services and such other matters as it considers appropriate.

4. The Subcommittee shall take into account relevant work

carried out by the Parties in other forums, and that of non-

governmental standardizing bodies.

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ANNEX 913 - C

Automotive Standards Council

1. The Automotive Standards Council, established under Article

913, shall comprise representatives of each Party.

2. The purpose of the Council shall be, to the extent

practicable, to facilitate the attainment of compatibility among,

and review the implementation of, national standards-related

measures of the Parties that apply to automotive goods and other

related issues.

3. To facilitate its objectives, the Council may establish

subgroups, consultation procedures and other appropriate

operational mechanisms. With the agreement of all the Parties,

the Council may include state and provincial government or

private sector representatives in its subgroups.

4. All Council recommendations shall require agreement of all

the Parties. When the adoption of a new law is not required for

a Party, the Council's recommendations shall be implemented by

the Party within a reasonable period of time in accordance with

the legal and procedural requirements and international

obligations of the Party. Where the adoption of a new law is

required for a Party, the Party shall make best efforts to secure

the passage of such legislation and shall implement any new

legislation within a reasonable period of time.

5. Recognizing the existing disparity in standards-related

measures, the Council shall develop its work program for making

compatible the national standards-related measures that apply to

automotive goods and other related issues based on the following

criteria:

(a) the impact on industry integration;

(b) the extent of the barriers to trade;

(c) the level of trade affected; and

(d) the extent of such disparity.

In developing its work program, the Council may address other

closely related issues, including emissions from on-road and

non-road mobile sources.

6. Each Party shall take such reasonable measures as may be

available to it to promote the objectives of this Annex with

respect to standards-related measures that are developed or

maintained by state, provincial and local authorities and private

sector organizations. The Council shall make every effort to

assist these entities with these activities, especially the

identification of priorities and the establishment of work

schedules.

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ANNEX 913 - D

Subcommittee on Labelling of Textile and Apparel Goods

1. The Subcommittee on Labelling of Textile and Apparel Goods,

established under Article 913, shall comprise representatives of

each Party.

2. This Subcommittee shall include, and consult with, technical

experts as well as a broadly representative group from the

manufacturing and retailing sectors in the territory of each

Party.

3. The Subcommittee shall develop and pursue a Work Program on

the Harmonization of Labelling Requirements, to facilitate trade

in textile and apparel goods between the Parties through the

adoption of uniform labelling provisions. The agenda for this

Work Program should include the following issues:

(a) pictograms and symbols to replace required written

information where possible as well as other methods to

reduce the need for labels on textile and apparel goods

in multiple languages;

(b) care instructions for textile and apparel goods;

(c) fiber content information for textile and apparel

goods;

(d) uniform methods acceptable for the attachment of

required information to textile and apparel goods; and

(e) use in the territory of other Parties of each Party's

national registration numbers for manufacturers or

importers of textile and apparel goods.