The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received a petition for a decision that 1994 and 1997 Westfalia 14-foot double axle cargo trailers that were not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) are eligible for importation into the United States because they have safety features that comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply with, all such standards.
The closing date for comments on the petition is February 3.
Under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(B), a motor vehicle, including a
trailer, that was not originally manufactured to conform to all
applicable FMVSS, and has no substantially similar U.S.-certified
counterpart, shall be refused admission into the United States unless
NHTSA has decided that the motor vehicle has safety features that
comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply with, all
applicable FMVSS based on destructive test data or such other evidence
as NHTSA decides to be adequate.
Petitions for eligibility decisions may be submitted by either
manufacturers or importers who have registered with NHTSA pursuant to
49 CFR part 592.
Wallace Environmental Testing Laboratories, Inc. (WETL) of Houston,
Texas (Registered Importer R-90-005) has petitioned NHTSA to decide
whether nonconforming 1994 and 1997 Westfalia trailers are eligible for importation into the United States. WETL believes these vehicles are capable of being modified to meet all applicable FMVSS.