Title 19 — Customs DutiesRelease 119-73not60

§2576b Subpart Definitions

Title 19 › Chapter 13— TRADE AGREEMENTS ACT OF 1979 › Subchapter II— TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE (STANDARDS) › Part E— Standards and Measures Under the North American Free Trade Agreement › Subpart 2— standards-related measures › § 2576b

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Sets plain meanings for key words used in this part. Approval procedure is any required government step that lets a product or service be made, sold, or used for a specific purpose or under certain conditions. Conformity assessment procedure is any method to check that a technical rule or standard is met (for example, testing, inspection, sampling, auditing, or accreditation), but it is not an approval procedure. Objective includes safety; protecting human, animal, or plant life or health, the environment, or consumers (including product quality and the ability to identify goods or services); and sustainable development. Service means land transportation or telecommunications. Standard covers features of a good or service, rules for how it is made or operated, and rules for labeling, packaging, terms, or symbols. Standards-related measure is a standard, a technical regulation, or a conformity check. Technical regulation is a rule about product or service features, how it is made or operated, or how it is labeled. Telecommunications service is sending and receiving signals by electromagnetic means, but not general cable or radio/TV broadcasting to the public.

Full Legal Text

Title 19, §2576b

Customs Duties — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Notwithstanding section 2571 of this title, for purposes of this subpart—

(1)The term “approval procedure” means any registration, notification, or other mandatory administrative procedure for granting permission for a good or service to be produced, marketed, or used for a stated purpose or under stated conditions.

(2)The term “conformity assessment procedure” means any procedure used, directly or indirectly, to determine that a 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.

(3)The term “objective” includes—

(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, and

(C)sustainable development,

(4)The term “service” means a land transportation service or a telecommunications service.

(5)The term “standard” means—

(A)characteristics for a good or a service,

(B)characteristics, rules, or guidelines for—

(i)processes or production methods relating to such good, or

(ii)operating methods relating to such service, and

(C)provisions specifying terminology, symbols, packaging, marking, or labelling for—

(i)a good or its related process or production methods, or

(ii)a service or its related operating methods,

(6)The term “standards-related measure” means a standard, technical regulation, or conformity assessment procedure.

(7)The term “technical regulation” means—

(A)characteristics or their related processes and production methods for a good,

(B)characteristics for a service or its related operating methods, or

(C)provisions specifying terminology, symbols, packaging, marking, or labelling for—

(i)a good or its related process or production method, or

(ii)a service or its related operating method,

(8)The term “telecommunications service” means a service provided by means of the transmission and reception of signals by any electromagnetic means, but does not mean the cable, broadcast, or other electromagnetic distribution of radio or television programming to the public generally.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

19 U.S.C. § 2576b

Title 19 — Customs Duties

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60