GNBS ensuring imported used tyres comply with standards

With the ban lifted on the importation of used tyres, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has restarted its monitoring exercises to ensure that those tyres meet its standards.

GNBS Public Relations Officer, Mr. Lloyd David, told the DPI that while it is a tedious task, it has to be done.

“One container averages about 2,000 tyres and because they are used tyres; we are responsible for checking each and every tyre,” he said.

When checking used tyres, the GNBS staff will look for damage and defects.

“For example, the bead area – that’s the area that is connected to the rim – shouldn’t have breakages along the way, also dry rot,” Mr. David said.

The Bureau also looks for the 4 mm thread depth.

“All used tyres coming into the country, they must meet the 4mm thread depth. If they are 3 mm or so, they are not accepted and we destroy them,” he explained.

Prior to the ban, local importers of used tyres generally imported from Europe and North America, countries which have existing standard requirements for a tyre. Those countries mandate that tyres on a vehicle must be changed after a certain time, which allows them some amount of life to be considered used and useful in Guyana.

The GNBS is encouraging importers to inform their suppliers of the local standards so that fewer defective tyres will be sent and, consequently, the agency will have less to destroy, reducing the impact on the environment.

The ban on the importation of used tyres was instituted by the APNU+AFC Government in 2017. It became effective on Saturday, April 1, 2017 in accordance with Part II of the Second Schedule to the Customs Act. The restriction applied to used tyres on motor vehicles including cars, vans, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), pick-ups, buses and other similar vehicles.

The ban was met with strong opposition from several stakeholders, including the Guyana Used Tyres Association which contended that thousands of jobs were at stake.

The PPP/C, which had also opposed the move in 2017, announced the lifting of the ban in the Emergency Budget 2020.

The GNBS, under the National Standards Act of 1984 and its amendment of 1997, ensures that products offered for sale conform to the requirements of established National Compulsory Standards.

For inquiries, the GNBS’s Product Compliance Services Department can be contacted on telephone number 219-0066, Ext 237. Contact can also be made via WhatsApp on telephone number 692 4627.