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U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration allows Importation of Certain Canadian Vehicles

Jan 11, 2018

On January 3, 2018, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) formally announced a decision, which allows certain types of Canadian vehicles that do not comply with all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) as being eligible for importation into the United States.

As detailed within the Federal Register Notice (Vol. 83, No. 2), Canadian vehicles must be certified by their original manufacturer as complying with all applicable Canadian motor vehicle safety standards (CMVSS) and must meet the following two conditions:

  1. Are substantially similar to vehicles that were certified by their manufacturers as complying with the U.S. safety standards and are capable of being readily altered to conform to those standards, or
  2. Have safety features that comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply with, all U.S. safety standards.

In addition, the Notice identified the following motor vehicles that are certified by their original manufacturer as complying with all applicable CMVSS:

  1. All passenger cars manufactured on or after September 1, 2017, and before May 1, 2018, that as originally manufactured, comply with FMVSS Nos. 138, 201, 206, 208, 213, 214, 225, and insofar as it is applicable, with FMVSS No. 226;
  2. All passenger cars manufactured on or after May 1, 2018, and before September 1, 2022, that as originally manufactured, comply with FMVSS Nos. 111, 138, 201, 206, 208, 213, 214, 225, and insofar as it is applicable, with FMVSS No. 226;
  3. All multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 4,536 kg (10,000 lb) or less manufactured on or after September 1, 2017, and before May 1, 2018, that as originally manufactured, comply with FMVSS Nos. 138, 201, 206, 208, 213, and 214, and insofar as they are applicable, with FMVSS Nos. 222, 225, and, 226;
  4. All multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses with a GVWR of 4,536 kg (10,000 lb) or less manufactured on or after May 1, 2018, and before September 1, 2022, that as originally manufactured, comply with FMVSS Nos. 111, 138, 201, 206, 208, 213, and 214, and insofar as they are applicable, with FMVSS Nos. 222, 225, and 226; and
  5. All multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses with a GVWR greater than 4,536 kg (10,000 lb) manufactured on or after August 1, 2019, and before September 1, 2022, that as originally manufactured, comply with FMVSS No. 136 insofar as it is applicable.

Federal Register Notice available in the link below:
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-01-03/html/2017-28391.htm

Please contact your Livingston account representative should you have any questions.