Decision That Certain Nonconforming Motor Vehicles Are Eligible for Importation

Marilynne Jacobs
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
February 27, 1998

[Federal Register: February 27, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 39)]
[Notices]               
[Page 10068-10069]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27fe98-168]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA-98-3514]

 
Decision That Certain Nonconforming Motor Vehicles Are Eligible 
for Importation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of decision by NHTSA that certain nonconforming motor 
vehicles are eligible for importation.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces decisions by NHTSA that certain motor 
vehicles not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable 
Federal motor vehicle safety standards are eligible for importation 
into the United States because they are substantially similar to 
vehicles originally manufactured for importation into and/or sale in 
the United States and certified by their manufacturers as complying 
with the safety standards, and they are capable of being readily 
altered to conform to the standards.

DATE: These decisions are effective February 27, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Entwistle, Office of Vehicle 
Safety Compliance, NHTSA (202-366-5306).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A), a motor vehicle that was not 
originally

[[Page 10069]]

manufactured to conform to all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety 
standards shall be refused admission into the United States unless 
NHTSA has decided that the motor vehicle is substantially similar to a 
motor vehicle originally manufactured for importation into and sale in 
the United States, certified under 49 U.S.C. 30115, and of the same 
model year as the model of the motor vehicle to be compared, and is 
capable of being readily altered to conform to all applicable Federal 
motor vehicle safety standards.
    Petitions for eligibility decisions may be submitted by either 
manufacturers or importers who have registered with NHTSA pursuant to 
49 CFR part 592. As specified in 49 CFR 593.7, NHTSA publishes notice 
in the Federal Register of each petition that it receives, and affords 
interested persons an opportunity to comment on the petition. At the 
close of the comment period, NHTSA decides, on the basis of the 
petition and any comments that it has received, whether the vehicle is 
eligible for importation. The agency then publishes this decision in 
the Federal Register.
    NHTSA received petitions from registered importers to decide 
whether the vehicles listed in Annex A to this notice are eligible for 
importation into the United States. To afford an opportunity for public 
comment, NHTSA published notice of these petitions as specified in 
Annex A. The reader is referred to those notices for a thorough 
description of the petitions. No comments were received in response to 
these notices. Based on its review of the information submitted by the 
petitioners, NHTSA has decided to grant the petitions.

Vehicle Eligibility Number for Subject Vehicles

    The importer of a vehicle admissible under any final decision must 
indicate on the form HS-7 accompanying entry the appropriate vehicle 
eligibility number indicating that the vehicle is eligible for entry. 
Vehicle eligibility numbers assigned to vehicles admissible under this 
decision are specified in Annex A.

Final Decision

    Accordingly, on the basis of the foregoing, NHTSA hereby decides 
that each motor vehicle listed in Annex A to this notice, which was not 
originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal motor 
vehicle safety standards, is substantially similar to a motor vehicle 
manufactured for importation into and/or sale in the United States, and 
certified under 49 U.S.C. Sec. 30115, as specified in Annex A, and is 
capable of being readily altered to conform to all applicable Federal 
motor vehicle safety standards.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A) and (b)(1); 49 CFR 593.8; 
delegations of authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

    Issued on: February 23, 1998.
Marilynne Jacobs,
Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.

Annex A--Nonconforming Motor Vehicles Decided to be Eligible for 
Importation

1. Docket No. NHTSA-97-3067
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 1992-1994 Kawasaki EL250 Motorcycles
    Substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicles: 1992-1994 
Kawasaki EX-250 Motorcycles
    Notice of Petition published at: 62 FR 60558 (November 20, 1997)
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-233
2. Docket No. NHTSA-97-3137
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 1974 Alfa Romeo GTV
    Substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicles: 1974 Alfa Romeo 
GTV
    Notice of Petition published at: 62 FR 63412 (November 28, 1997)
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-234
3. Docket No. NHTSA-97-3189
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 1994-1998 Mercedes-Benz S320
    Substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicles: 1994-1998 
Mercedes-Benz S320
    Notice of Petition published at: 62 FR 65126 (December 10, 1997)
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-236
4. Docket No. NHTSA-97-3190
    Nonconforming Vehicles: 1994-1997 Mercedes-Benz S500
    Substantially similar U.S.-certified vehicles: 1994-1997 
Mercedes-Benz S500
    Notice of Petition published at: 62 FR 65124 (December 10, 1997)
    Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP-235

[FR Doc. 98-5076 Filed 2-26-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P