---
kind: "section"
citation: "19 U.S.C. § 2576"
title: "19"
title_heading: "Customs Duties"
number: "2576"
heading: "General"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/19/2576"
units:
  - "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"
---

# §2576. General

- (a) **No bar to engaging in standards activity—** Nothing in this subpart shall be construed—
  - (1) to prohibit a Federal [agency](/usc/19/2578b.md?p=a-1) from engaging in activity related to [standards-related measures](/usc/19/2576b.md?p=6), including any such measure relating to safety, the protection of human, [animal](/usc/19/2575b.md?p=1), or [plant](/usc/19/2575b.md?p=5) life or health, the environment or consumers; or
  - (2) to limit the authority of a Federal [agency](/usc/19/2578b.md?p=a-1) to determine the level it considers appropriate of safety or of protection of human, [animal](/usc/19/2575b.md?p=1), or [plant](/usc/19/2575b.md?p=5) life or health, the environment or consumers.
- (b) **Exclusion—** This subpart does not apply to—
  - (1) technical specifications prepared by a Federal [agency](/usc/19/2578b.md?p=a-1) for production or consumption requirements of the [agency](/usc/19/2578b.md?p=a-1); or
  - (2) [sanitary or phytosanitary measures](/usc/19/2575b.md?p=7-A) under subpart 1.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 96–39, title IV, § 471, as added Pub. L. 103–182, title III, § 351(a), Dec. 8, 1993, 107 Stat. 2120.)