FY-19-18

TTB Proposes the Elimination of Certain Standards of Fill for Wine and Distilled Spirits

FY—19—18

Washington, D.C. – On Monday, July 1, 2019, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) published two deregulatory proposed rules in the Federal Register proposing to eliminate all but a minimum standard of fill for wine containers (Notice No. 182), and all but a minimum and maximum standard of fill for distilled spirits containers (Notice No. 183).  The term “standard of fill” is used in the TTB regulations to refer to the amount of liquid in the container, and TTB’s current regulations prescribe certain specific standards of fill for wine and distilled spirits containers sold within the United States, such as 750, 500, 375, 100, and 50 milliliters. The proposals are intended to eliminate unnecessary regulatory requirements and provide consumers broader purchasing options.

TTB welcomes comments on these proposed deregulatory actions, and it also seeks comments on the relative merits of alternatives, such as adding new authorized standards of fill or developing an expedited process for adding additional standards in the future. All of these approaches would be intended to eliminate restrictions that inhibit competition and the movement of goods in domestic and international commerce. TTB has already received comments on the existing standards of fill regulations in response to Notice No. 176, Modernization of the Labeling and Advertising Regulations for Wine, Distilled Spirits, and Malt Beverages, and TTB will take those and any additional relevant comments it received in response to that Notice into consideration for these proposals as well.

You may submit comments on the proposals and view copies of the proposed rules, selected supporting materials, and any comments TTB receives about the proposals on the Regulations.gov website (https://www.regulations.gov) within Docket No. TTB–2019–0004 (for wine) and Docket No. TTB–2019–0005 (for distilled spirits). Links to the dockets also are posted on the TTB website at https://www.ttb.gov/wine/notices-of-proposed-rulemaking under Notice No. 182 and at https://www.ttb.gov/distilled-spirits/notices-of-proposed-rulemaking under Notice No. 183.

Alternatively, written comments may be submitted to one of these addresses:

• U.S. Mail: Director, Regulations and Rulings Division, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, 1310 G Street NW., Box 12, Washington, DC 20005; or
• Hand delivery/courier in lieu of mail: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, 1310   Street, NW., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005.

The comment period for the two proposed rules closes on August 30, 2019.

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Page last reviewed: June 18, 2019
Page last updated June 18, 2019
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