THEMATIC SESSION ON REGULATORY COOPERATION AND FACILITATING TRADE
OF LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES AND ALTERNATIVES

TENTH TRIENNIAL REVIEW

Proposal from the United States

The following submission, dated 31 May 2024, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of the United States.

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1  background

1.1.  To meet energy transition and sustainability goals, governments are working to rapidly (1) facilitate trade in goods essential to the transition and (2) ensure that those goods are safe, secure, and do not pose risks to public health. Lithium-ion batteries (and their alternatives) are at the center of this effort.

1.2.  Lithium-ion batteries are major components of the global supply chains for electric vehicles, energy storage, e-mobility, and more, and are critical to achieving sustainable energy solutions.

1.3.  Yet, the rapid growth and demand for such products has led to global environment, safety, and supply chain concerns. Collaboration on regulatory requirements and policy frameworks for such batteries among governments and the private sector is essential to meeting these objectives and minimizing technical barriers to trade. A search of WTO TBT notifications for lithium-ion batteries and lithium-ion cells in ePing since 1 January 2020 returns over 25 notifications.

2  proposal

2.1.  The United States proposes to hold a thematic session which will explore the current landscape of regulations on lithium-ion batteries or their alternatives, and the role of regulatory cooperation in facilitating the trade of those technologies.

2.2.  Topics and areas of focus could include:

a._         Challenges and opportunities of trade and regulation of lithium-ion batteries, including all stages of the batteries' life cycles, from design to use and end-of-life, and their alternatives;

b._         Best practices that guide the development of regulations in this area;

c._         The role of conformity assessment and international standards in such regulations.

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