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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Brand Hong Kong - Asia world city
MY COLOUR

Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 111/2

20 April 2010

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 168/2010

US : Enhanced Testing and Certification Requirements for Energy Star Program

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DoE) jointly issued a news release on 14 April 2010 to announce changes to the Energy Star product certification process to ensure that only products meeting the program requirements can receive an Energy Star label. A copy of the news release is at Annex A (pdf format) appended to this circular for reference.

DETAILS

  1. In 1992, the EPA introduced "Energy Star" as a voluntary labelling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In response to a report recently released by the US Government Accountability Office which found that the Energy Star product certification process was vulnerable to fraud and abuse, EPA and DoE have announced new changes to the program which will require testing, review and approval of all products before they are allowed to use the Energy Star label. Certain salient changes are summarised below:

  1. Effective immediately, manufacturers wishing to qualify their products as Energy Star must submit complete lab reports and results for review and approval by EPA prior to labelling.

  1. EPA has strengthened its approval systems and is no longer relying on an automated approval process. All new qualification applications will be reviewed and approved individually by EPA.

  1. EPA and DoE have strengthened the certification process with a requirement effective at the end of 2010 that all manufacturers must submit test results from an approved, accredited lab for any product seeking the Energy Star label.

  1. All Energy Star product manufacturers must participate in an ongoing verification testing program to ensure continued compliance with the requirements of the Energy Star program.

  1. The EPA and DoE have prepared a memorandum entitled "Building a stronger Energy Star Program" and a letter to the Energy Star product manufacturers outlining their new changes to bolster the Energy Star program. Copies of the memorandum and the letter are at Annexes B and C (pdf format) appended to this circular for reference. More information on the Energy Star program is available at http://www.energystar.gov/. Traders are strongly advised to seek clarifications with their importers in the US in order to comply with the necessary requirements.

ENQUIRIES

  1. For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at 2398 5682.

Yours faithfully,

 

(Miss Bonny CHAO)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry