---
kind: "section"
citation: "19 U.S.C. § 2578"
title: "19"
title_heading: "Customs Duties"
number: "2578"
heading: "Notice of United States participation in international standard-setting activities"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/19/2578"
units:
  - "Chapter 13 — Trade Agreements Act of 1979"
  - "Subchapter II — Technical Barriers to Trade (standards)"
  - "Part F — International Standard-Setting Activities"
---

# §2578. Notice of United States participation in international standard-setting activities

- (a) **In general—** The President shall designate an [agency](/usc/19/2578b.md?p=a-1) to be responsible for informing the public of the sanitary and phytosanitary [standard](/usc/19/2576b.md?p=5)-setting activities of each [international standard-setting organization](/usc/19/2578b.md?p=a-3).
- (b) **Notification—** Not later than June 1 of each year, the [agency](/usc/19/2578b.md?p=a-1) designated under [subsection (a)](#a) with respect to each [international standard-setting organization](/usc/19/2578b.md?p=a-3) shall publish notice in the Federal Register of the information specified in [subsection (c)](#c) with respect to that organization. The notice shall cover the period ending on June 1 of the year in which the notice is published, and beginning on the date of the preceding notice under this subsection, except that the first such notice shall cover the 1-year period ending on the date of the notice.
- (c) **Required information—** The information to be provided in the notice under [subsection (b)](#b) is—
  - (1) the [sanitary or phytosanitary standards](/usc/19/2578b.md?p=a-4) under consideration or planned for consideration by that organization;
  - (2) for each [sanitary or phytosanitary standard](/usc/19/2578b.md?p=a-4) specified in [paragraph (1)](#c-1)—
    - (A) a description of the consideration or planned consideration of the [standard](/usc/19/2576b.md?p=5);
    - (B) whether the [United States](/usc/19/1683.md?p=9) is participating or plans to participate in the consideration of the [standard](/usc/19/2576b.md?p=5);
    - (C) the agenda for the [United States](/usc/19/1683.md?p=9) participation, if any; and
    - (D) the [agency](/usc/19/2578b.md?p=a-1) responsible for representing the [United States](/usc/19/1683.md?p=9) with respect to the [standard](/usc/19/2576b.md?p=5).
- (d) **Public comment—** The [agency](/usc/19/2578b.md?p=a-1) specified in [subsection (c)(2)(D)](#c-2-D) shall provide an opportunity for public comment with respect to the [standards](/usc/19/2576b.md?p=5) for which the [agency](/usc/19/2578b.md?p=a-1) is responsible and shall take the comments into account in participating in the consideration of the [standards](/usc/19/2576b.md?p=5) and in proposing matters to be considered by the organization.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 96–39, title IV, § 491, as added Pub. L. 103–465, title IV, § 432, Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4970.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective on the date of entry into force of the WTO Agreement with respect to the United States (Jan. 1, 1995), except as otherwise provided, see section 451 of Pub. L. 103–465, set out as a note under section 3601 of this title.

### Executive Documents

### Designation of Agency

Secretary of Agriculture designated under this section as official responsible for informing public of sanitary and phytosanitary standard-setting activities of each international standard-setting organization, see par. (4) of Proc. No. 6780, Mar. 23, 1995, 60 F.R. 15847, set out as a note under section 3511 of this title.