WTO notification · TBT
United StatesUpdated: check whether it is now adopted or in force
Official title
United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef
The United States issued an addendum on 9 September 2026 to the earlier TBT notification G/TBT/N/USA/925. Addenda often report that a measure was adopted, changed, postponed or withdrawn. The measure was first notified on 2 October 2014. Comments are open until 7 December 2026.
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Beef carcass; Meat, meat products and other animal produce
Comments on a notification go from government to government. If this measure affects your exports, send your comments to your country's WTO TBT enquiry point before 7 December 2026, quoting the document symbol G/TBT/N/USA/925/Rev.2/Add.1 and how the measure affects your products. Your enquiry point forwards them to the United States.
Find your country's enquiry point on WTO ePing (opens in a new tab)Latest notice (G/TBT/N/USA/925/Rev.2/Add.1, 9 September 2026)
United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is extending the public comment period by 90 days on its Request for Information (RFI) (notified as G/TBT/N/USA/925/Rev.2) concerning revisions to the United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef. Stakeholders requested additional time to allow for the completion of research on dentition given that AMS is seeking comments on eliminating the skeletal maturity requirement for carcasses determined by dentition, or documents verifying age, to be under 30 months of age. The comment period for the document originally published on 8 July 2026, (91 FR 42172) is extended 90 days. Comments must be submitted on or before 7 December 2026. 91 Federal Register (FR) 57125, 8 September 2026: This notice; extension of comment period and the notice; request for comments notified as G/TBT/N/USA/925/Rev.2 are identified by Docket Number AMS-LP-25-0485. The Docket Folder is available from Regulations.gov at and provides access to primary documents as well as comments received. Documents are also accessible from Regulations.gov by searching the Docket Number. WTO Members and their stakeholders are asked to submit comments to the USA TBT Enquiry Point by or before 4pm Eastern Time on 7 December 2026. Comments received by the USA TBT Enquiry Point from WTO Members and their stakeholders will be shared with USDA and will also be submitted to the Docket on Regulations.gov if received within the comment period.
Notice; request for comments - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking public comments concerning revisions to the United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef. This request for comments stems from an American Wagyu Association petition, which requested that AMS consider adding marbling degrees to the USDA Prime grade for beef to better characterize modern genetics, which are not always differentiated within the current marbling degrees. AMS is also soliciting public comment on whether to eliminate the skeletal maturity requirement for carcasses determined by dentition to be under 30 months of age. Scientific research and data on beef tenderness suggest that the skeletal maturity requirement could be eliminated.
Every notice about this measure published here, newest first. Each one is the notifying member's own text.
AddendumG/TBT/N/USA/925/Rev.2/Add.1
Comment deadline: Open until 7 December 2026
United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is extending the public comment period by 90 days on its Request for Information (RFI) (notified as G/TBT/N/USA/925/Rev.2) concerning revisions to the United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef. Stakeholders requested additional time to allow for the completion of research on dentition given that AMS is seeking comments on eliminating the skeletal maturity requirement for carcasses determined by dentition, or documents verifying age, to be under 30 months of age. The comment period for the document originally published on 8 July 2026, (91 FR 42172) is extended 90 days. Comments must be submitted on or before 7 December 2026. 91 Federal Register (FR) 57125, 8 September 2026: This notice; extension of comment period and the notice; request for comments notified as G/TBT/N/USA/925/Rev.2 are identified by Docket Number AMS-LP-25-0485. The Docket Folder is available from Regulations.gov at and provides access to primary documents as well as comments received. Documents are also accessible from Regulations.gov by searching the Docket Number. WTO Members and their stakeholders are asked to submit comments to the USA TBT Enquiry Point by or before 4pm Eastern Time on 7 December 2026. Comments received by the USA TBT Enquiry Point from WTO Members and their stakeholders will be shared with USDA and will also be submitted to the Docket on Regulations.gov if received within the comment period.
RevisionG/TBT/N/USA/925/Rev.2
Comment deadline: Closed on 8 September 2026
United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef
Notice; request for comments - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking public comments concerning revisions to the United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef. This request for comments stems from an American Wagyu Association petition, which requested that AMS consider adding marbling degrees to the USDA Prime grade for beef to better characterize modern genetics, which are not always differentiated within the current marbling degrees. AMS is also soliciting public comment on whether to eliminate the skeletal maturity requirement for carcasses determined by dentition to be under 30 months of age. Scientific research and data on beef tenderness suggest that the skeletal maturity requirement could be eliminated.
AddendumG/TBT/N/USA/925/Rev.1/Add.1
TITLE: United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA ACTION: Notice SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is revising the United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef (beef standards) to allow dentition and documentation of actual age as additional methods of classifying maturity of carcasses presented to USDA for official quality grading. These new standards shall be implemented on 18 December 20
RevisionG/TBT/N/USA/925/Rev.1
Comment deadline: Closed on 24 October 2016
United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef (3 pages, in English)
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking public comments on a petition requesting revision to the United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef. Specifically, AMS is requesting comments concerning a petition that requests that the beef standards be amended to include dentition and documentation of actual age as an additional determination of maturity grouping for official quality grading. Currently, the standards only include skeletal and muscular evidence as a determination of maturity grouping for the purposes of official quality grading. Official quality grading is used as an indication of meat palatability and is a major determining factor in live cattle and beef value.
AddendumG/TBT/N/USA/925/Add.1
TITLE: United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA ACTION: Notice SUMMARY: This document makes amendments to the United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef in order to make administrative changes and provide several points of clarification. DATES: Effective: 1 March 2016.
Regular notificationG/TBT/N/USA/925
Comment deadline: Closed on 13 November 2014
United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef (2 pages, in English)
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking public comments on revising the United States Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef. USDA is requesting comments concerning, but not limited to, the beef yield grade standard and carcass maturity. The current standards do not adequately reflect the genetic and production changes that have taken place in the cattle population since 1965 when a cutability or yield grade standard was first adopted. In 1997, the maturity requirements were changed to improve uniformity and consistency. Since that time, research has indicated that carcasses from fed steers and heifers less than 30 months of age, based on dentition, should be classified 'A' maturity for grading purposes even though the skeletal maturity characteristics of 'B' or older may be present. Industry and other groups have discussed the possibility of changing the grade standards for carcass beef with AMS.
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