RTCR 486: 2016 Technical Regulation for Pneumatic Tires.
1. OBJECTIVE To establish the technical and marking requirements that pneumatic tires marketed within the national territory must meet.
(*)2. SCOPE OF APPLICATION. It applies to new replacement pneumatic tires included in the tariff classifications indicated in Table No. 1, whether they are manufactured in the country, definitively imported, or marketed within the national territory.
Table No. 1 Tire classification according to type and tariff classification
| Tariff Heading | Subheading Text | Product |
|---|---|---|
| 4011.10.00.00.00 | Including those of the family type ("break" or "station wagon") and racing tires. | Pneumatic tires for passenger vehicles including off-road vehicles (tire type II and type III) |
| 4011.20.10.00.00 | Radial | Pneumatic tires for buses or trucks (tire type IV). |
| 4011.20.90.00.00 | Others |
Note: tariff headings may be modified by the National Customs Authority, for which it will publish the respective administrative resolution.
Excluded from the application of this technical regulation are tires that enter installed on new or used vehicles and their respective spare tire.
Also excluded are tires specially designed for the vehicles mentioned in the fifth paragraph of article 24 of Law No. 9078 of October 4, 2012, Law on Transit on Public Land Roads and Road Safety; published in Supplement No. 165 to La Gaceta No. 207 of October 26, 2012, in which case the waiver process included in Executive Decree No. 41422-MEIC of October 16, 2018, called: "Procedure to waive compliance with the technical note for products of the non-food sector that are outside the scope of application of a technical regulation under the competence of MEIC", published in the Official Gazette La Gaceta No. 237 of December 20, 2018, must be processed.
(*) (Section 2) above amended as such by article 3 of executive decree No. 42507 of July 29, 2020) 3. DEFINITIONS 3. 1 tire section width: Width of the tire, mounted on a measuring rim, inflated to the measuring pressure, without load. It does not include bars, ribs, or ornaments that protrude from the normal profile of the sidewall.
3. 2 overall width (W): Width of the cross-section of the pneumatic tire that includes bars, ribs, or the most protruding ornaments on the outer surface of the sidewalls.
3. 3 bus: Rigid vehicle conceived and built for the transport of persons with a capacity greater than 44 seats, including the driver.
3. 4 automobile: Vehicle conceived and built for the transport of persons and with a capacity of up to 9 seats, including the driver.
3. 5 tread: Also known as the tread band or running surface, it is the part of a pneumatic tire that comes into contact with the ground and protects the tire structure from mechanical damage.
3. 6 heavy-duty truck: Vehicle conceived and built for the transport of cargo whose gross weight is at least 8000 kilograms.
3. 7 Light Truck/Pick Up: Vehicle conceived for the transport of light cargo less than 8000 kilograms.
3. 8 load capacity (LR: load range): Term expressed with a letter of the alphabet included in the tire description, used to relate a tire to its inflation pressure and load range.
3. 9 ply rating (PR): Number that represents the strength of the casing. Under its maximum recommended load, in a specific type of service. It does not represent the actual number of plies in the tire.
3. 10 plies: Layer of parallel cords covered with rubber.
3. 11 casing: The structure of the tire without the tread and the sidewall rubber, which, when inflated, supports the load.
3. 12 sidewall rubber: Layer of rubber on the sidewall of the pneumatic tire and over the casing, which may include ornamental or protective ribs and related lines.
3. 13 bead (or flange): Part of the tire consisting of steel wires, in the form of rings, covered with fabric layers and special elastomers, which provide the appropriate shape for the correct seating of the tire on the rim.
3. 14 certificate of conformity: third-party attestation that certifies compliance with technical regulations.
3. 15 product certification: it is a procedure by which a third party grants a written guarantee that a product complies with technical specifications.
3. 16 construction code: indicates the internal construction of the tire. In tires of radial construction, the cords of the plies that form the tire's inner shell or framework are arranged in the form of "radii" from one side of the tire to the other. Other letters used as indicators are D, for diagonal construction, and B, for bias-belted construction.
3. 17 belt (Overlay): Layer of material beneath the tread, placed substantially in the direction of the tread centerline that circumferentially restricts the casing, present in some tires.
3. 18 cord: Textile or non-textile strand (threads) used in various components of the pneumatic tire casing, plies, belts, reinforcements.
3. 19 bead unseating: Dislodgement of the pneumatic tire from the rim flange as a result of a lateral load, resulting in loss of air.
3. 20 normative document: International, regional, and national standards approved by standardization bodies that have adopted the Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards of the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement, or the technical regulations of other countries or regions and their parts.
3. 21 competent official entity: Authority or any body designated as such in the State, according to the legal system of the country where the product is manufactured.
3. 22 tread grooves: Space between the adjacent ribs or blocks in the tread design.
3. 23 diagonal structure or construction ("O" or "-"): It is the pneumatic tire whose casing is constituted by fabric layers whose cords extend from bead to bead forming alternating angles of less than 90 degrees with respect to the tread centerline. Examples: LTS (Light Truck Bias) and TBS (Truck & Bus Bias).
3. 24 diagonal structure or construction with belt (bias belted) (D, B or "-"): Pneumatic tire of diagonal construction, in which the casing is bounded by a belt (reinforcement or breaker) consisting of one or more layers of cords under the tread. Examples: LTS (Light Truck Bias) and TBS (Truck & Bus Bias).
3. 25 radial structure or construction (R: radial): Pneumatic tire whose casing is constituted by one or more layers of fabric whose cords, arranged from bead to bead, are fundamentally placed at 90°, in relation to the tread centerline, this casing being stabilized by a circumferential belt consisting of two or more basically inextensible layers.
3. 26 conformity assessment (conformity): demonstration that the specified requirements relating to a product, process, system, person, or body are fulfilled.
3. 27 shoulder: Outer part of the tread at the intersections with the sidewalls.
3. 28 ILAC: International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation.
3. 29 IND (industrial): letter (optional) placed immediately in front of the section width to identify an industrial tire.
3. 30 tread wear indicators (TWI): Protruding parts, arranged within the tread grooves, that allow for visual inspection to assess whether the tire has reached the expected wear limit.
3. 31 load index (LI): It is a numerical code associated with the maximum load that a pneumatic tire can support at a speed determined by its speed symbol.
3. 32 speed index or symbol: It is a symbol that indicates the speed category (according to the technical books TRA, JATMA) at which a tire can be taken at a corresponding load index under specific service conditions.
3. 33 official authority: Delegation of a function that corresponds to the competent authority, to act on its behalf and in order to fulfill state objectives, under one's own decision and in the exercise of power.
3. 34 sidewall: Part of the tire comprised between the limits of the tread and the bead, visible when the same, fitted to a rim, is viewed from the side.
3. 35 special tread tire (ET): Tire whose tread design is primarily to provide satisfactory performance under special service conditions (e.g., mixed use, on- and off-road, urban bus).
3. 36 temporary use spare tire type T: Temporary use spare tire designed to be used at a higher inflation pressure than that established for standard and reinforced tires.
3. 37 temporary use spare tire: Tire different from one intended to be fitted to a vehicle under normal driving conditions, and only intended for temporary use under restricted driving conditions.
3. 38 pneumatic tire: Flexible component of the wheel assembly, made of rubber and reinforcing materials, which, inflated with pressurized gas, enables the wheel as part of the axle assembly to carry and transmit longitudinal and transverse forces. In an unloaded condition, the tire is essentially a toroid.
3. 39 reinforced tire, extra load (XL): Passenger automobile tire designed for loads and at a higher inflation pressure than the standard version.
3. 40 tire type II: Tires for passenger automobiles.
3. 41 tire type III: Tires for vans, off-road vehicles, and other commercial vehicles such as light trucks (less than 5 tons of gross vehicle weight).
3. 42 tire type IV: Tires for trucks, buses, trailers, semi-trailer trucks, and other multi-purpose on-road service vehicles.
3. 43 MRA: Mutual Recognition Agreement.
3. 44 Product certification body (certification body): body that has the technical competence to perform product certification. Such bodies may be of a public or private nature, national or foreign.
3. 45 P: Letter (optional) placed immediately in front of the section width to identify a passenger car tire.
3. 46 strength test: Determination of the breaking energy of the pneumatic tire under a penetration force applied to the tread by means of a solid cylinder with a hemispherical end of a determined diameter.
3. 47 dimensional requirement: Each of the magnitudes of a set that serve to define the tire, includes section width, profile, rim diameter.
3. 48 high speed resistance: ability to withstand the maximum speed limits for which the pneumatic tire was designed.
3. 49 endurance of the pneumatic tire: Rolling of the pneumatic tire in contact with a steel wheel at constant speed subjected to variable loads for determined periods of time.
3. 50 T: Letter placed immediately in front of the section width to identify a temporary use spare tire.
(*)4. TESTING The pneumatic tires for the vehicles indicated in this Regulation must comply with the following technical tests:
Table 2. Tests that tires must comply with.
| Test | Type II Tires | Type III Tires | Type IV Tires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength test | INTE/ISO 10191 | INTE/ISO 10191 | INTE/ISO 10454 |
| FMVSS 571.109 / FMVSS 571.1392) | FMVSS 571.139 | FMVSS 571.119 | |
| Bead unseating 1) | INTE/ISO 10191 | INTE/ISO 10191 | NA |
| FMVSS 571.109 / FMVSS 571.1392) | FMVSS 571.139 | ||
| Endurance | INTE/ISO 10191 | INTE/ISO 10191 | INTE/ISO 10454 |
| FMVSS 571.109 / FMVSS 571.1392) | FMVSS 571.139 | FMVSS 571.119 | |
| UNECE 30/UNECE 542) | UNECE 54 | UNECE 54 | |
| Speed resistance or high speed | INTE/ISO 10191 | INTE/ISO 10191 | NA |
| FMVSS 571.109 / FMVSS 571.1392) | FMVSS 571.139 | ||
| UNECE 30/UNECE 542) | UNECE 54 | ||
| Dimensional requirement | INTE/ISO 4000-1 | INTE/ISO 4000-1 | INTE/ISO 4209 |
| FMVSS 571.109 / FMVSS 571.1392) | FMVSS 571.139 | FMVSS 571.119 | |
| UNECE 30/UNECE 542) | UNECE 54 | UNECE 54 | |
| Notes: 1) For tires with diagonal or conventional structure, the Bead unseating test does not apply to any type. 2) As applicable, some Type II tires comply with one standard or the other. |
(*) (Section 4) above amended as such by article 3 of executive decree No. 42507 of July 29, 2020) 5. MARKING REQUIREMENTS (Numeral 5) above added as such by article 1 of executive decree No. 42507 of July 29, 2020) 5.1 Pneumatic tires must bear a marking, printing, or stamping with the information required in this Technical Regulation, permanently on at least one of their sidewalls, in accordance with what is indicated in the following table.
Table 3. Characteristics to be evaluated on marking.
| Requirement \ type | Type II | Type III | Type IV | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Characteristics | Manufacturer's name or trade mark | Visual | Visual | Visual | |||
| Country of manufacture | Visual | Visual | Visual | ||||
| Tread wear indicator(1) | Visual | Visual | Visual | ||||
| Date of manufacture expressed in 4 digits(2) | Visual | Visual | Visual | ||||
| Size and construction | Section width | Visual | Visual | Visual | |||
| Tire construction code | Visual | Visual | Visual | ||||
| Nominal rim diameter | INTE ISO 4000-1, | INTE ISO 4000-1 or | INTE | ISO | |||
| 4209, or | |||||||
| FMVSS 571.119/139, or | FMVSS 571.139, or | FMVSS 571. | |||||
| UN/ECE- | UN/ECE- | 119, or | |||||
| Regulation 30 | Regulation 30 and 54 | UN/ECE- | |||||
| Regulation | |||||||
| 54 | |||||||
| Others | Load index, load capacity or ply rating. | INTE ISO 4000-1 or | INTE ISO 4000-1 or | INTE | ISO | ||
| 4209, or | |||||||
| FMVSS 571.139, or | FMVSS 571.139, or | FMVSS 571.119 or | |||||
| UN/ECE- | UN/ECE- | UN/ECE- | |||||
| Regulation 30 | Regulation 30 and 54 | Regulation 54 | |||||
| Other service characteristics, when applicable(3) | INTE ISO 4000-1 or | INTE ISO 4000-1 or | INTE | ISO | |||
| 4209, or | |||||||
| FMVSS 571.119/139, or UN/ECE- Regulation 30 | FMVSS 571.119/139, or UN/ECE- Regulation 30 and 54 | FMVSS 571.119, or UN/ECE- | |||||
| Regulation | |||||||
| 54 |
NOTES:
1. The positions of the tread wear indicators must be identified, according to internationally recognized manufacturing practices, for example, by means of the initials TWI (Tread Wear Indicator), by means of a triangle (▲) or another symbol that specifies this indicator. This indication must be engraved on the tire shoulder in a position adjacent to the indicator located within the tread grooves. The number of tread wear indicators must not be less than 3 on each side.
2. The first two digits are to indicate the week and the other two for the year. E.g.: «1911», corresponds to a tire manufactured in the 19th week of 2011.
3. The type of vehicle for which it was designed, the preferred rotation, special tread, the words "TUBELESS", "REINFORCED" or "EXTRA LOAD", "BIAS BELTED", RADIAL, P, IN, are used, as the case may be.
5.2. The place for marking the load, speed characteristics, size, and construction must be on at least one sidewall of the tire. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the information may be added, prior to its placement on the market, by means of a supplementary label when the same is not in the Spanish language.
(The preceding paragraph amended as such by article 3 of executive decree No. 42507 of July 29, 2020) 6. EQUIVALENCE WITH OTHER NORMATIVE DOCUMENTS (The numbering of the previous section modified as such by article 1 of executive decree No. 42507 of July 29, 2020, which transferred it from the former section 5) to 6) Those normative documents that have been declared as equivalent to this technical regulation, in accordance with Executive Decree No. 38849-MEIC of January 6, 2015, Procedure to demonstrate equivalence with a technical regulation of Costa Rica (RTCR), shall be equivalent.
7. DEMONSTRATION OF CONFORMITY (The numbering of the previous section modified as such by article 1 of executive decree No. 42507 of July 29, 2020, which transferred it from the former section 6) to 7) 7.1 For the purposes of this regulation, Model 5, as set out in Table No. 1 of Section 4, Conformity Assessment Models to Demonstrate Compliance with Technical Regulations, of Executive Decree No. 37662-MEIC-H-MICIT of December 12, 2012, Procedure for the Demonstration of Conformity Assessment of Technical Regulations, shall be used.
This model is based on testing, evaluation, and surveillance of quality systems, in addition to continuous surveillance of products from the factory, the market, or both in accordance with the requirements specified in this technical regulation and that are evaluated to determine their conformity.
This certification model includes the implementation of the following stages:
- a)The certification body requests product samples.
- b)Determination of the relevant product characteristics through testing (ISO/IEC 17025, current version) or evaluation.
- c)Initial audit of the production process and the quality system.
- d)Review of the test or evaluation report.
- e)Attestation of conformity.
- f)Issuance of a license to use the certificates or marks on the products.
- g)Surveillance of the production process or the quality system, or both.
- h)Surveillance through testing or inspection of samples from the factory, the open market, or both.
7.1.1 For the point above, the Certificates of Conformity must be issued by a third-party Product Certification Body accredited under the international standard ISO 17065: current or its equivalent standard in force in the country of origin, by the Costa Rican Accreditation Entity (ECA) or by an accreditation body recognized by the ECA, through a multilateral recognition agreement (MLA) before the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), for the scopes required in this Regulation or that are alternatively accredited in the general scopes for the manufacturing of rubber products, according to the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE, scope 22.1).
(The preceding paragraph amended as such by article 3 of executive decree No. 42507 of July 29, 2020) 7.1.2 The Certification Bodies must comply with the Criteria for the use of laboratories by product certification bodies, established by the Costa Rican Accreditation Entity (Code ECA-MC-C01 in its current version on its website) (The preceding paragraph amended as such by article 3 of executive decree No. 42507 of July 29, 2020) 7.1.3 Notwithstanding the provisions in numerals 7.1.1 and 7.1.2, at the request of a country, the National Competent Authority may enter into negotiations aimed at: concluding mutual recognition agreements for the results of their respective conformity assessment procedures; or making recognition agreements for the conformity assessment procedures, even when these differ, provided there is a conviction that they are procedures that offer a degree of conformity with the technical regulation.
For the above, it may be necessary to hold prior consultations to reach a mutually satisfactory understanding.
7.1.4. Notwithstanding the provisions in 7.1.1), when in the country of manufacture of the tires, conformity assessment schemes based on a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) are not used for the products included in the scope of application of this technical regulation, a document issued either by the competent official entity for granting authorizations for the use of conformity marks in the matter, or by a private entity that has the official authority granted for such purposes, may be presented as an alternative to certificates issued by a CAB, in which case the ECA shall verify that indeed, in the country of origin, conformity assessment systems based on CAB are not used.
(The preceding paragraph added as such by article 2 of executive decree No. 42507 of July 29, 2020, which transferred it from the former section 6) to 7) 7.1.5. The certificates indicated in numeral 7.1.1 may include several tire families or types, provided they refer to a single manufacturer, country, and production plant.
(The preceding paragraph added as such by article 2 of executive decree No. 42507 of July 29, 2020, which transferred it from the former section 6) to 7) 7.2 Prior to placing the product on the market Both producers and importers of the products subject to this technical regulation must comply with the provisions of subsection 5.1 of Section 5 Procedure for the Demonstration of Conformity, of Executive Decree No. 37662-MEIC-H-MICIT of December 12, 2012, Procedure for the Demonstration of Conformity Assessment of Technical Regulations, in accordance with the procedure published by the ECA in the Official Gazette La Gaceta and on its website, no later than the entry into force of this technical regulation.
7.3 After placing the product on the market For the purposes of this regulation, the provisions of subsection 5.2 of Section 5 Procedure for the Demonstration of Conformity, of Executive Decree No. 37662 MEIC-HMICIT of December 12, 2012, Procedure for the demonstration of conformity assessment of Technical Regulations, must be complied with.
8. OTHER OBLIGATIONS (The numbering of the previous section modified as such by article 1 of executive decree No. 42507 of July 29, 2020, which transferred it from the former section 7) to 8) 8.1 It shall be the responsibility of the importer, the national producer, the distributor, and the marketer to possess the documents supporting the Declaration of Conformity, for which they must keep a copy for a period of no less than 5 years, in accordance with the national legislation in force on trade matters. For this purpose, the national producer or the importer, as the case may be, must provide copies of said documents to the distributors and marketers.
(The preceding paragraph amended as such by article 3 of executive decree No. 42507 of July 29, 2020) 8.2 In order to verify the validity of the Certificates of Conformity provided, the MEIC may request a copy of said documents, whether from the national producer, the importer, or the customs agent representing the latter.
9. BIBLIOGRAPHY (The numbering of the previous section modified as such by article 1 of executive decree No. 42507 of July 29, 2020, which transferred it from the former section 8) to 9) 9.1 Costa Rica, Procedures Manual for the technical inspection of automotive vehicles at Vehicle Technical Inspection stations. Published in Supplement No. 69, to the Official Gazette La Gaceta No. 225 of November 21, 2014.
9.2 Peru, Supreme Decree No. 16-2005, Regulation for Tires for Automobiles, Light Trucks, Buses and Trucks.
9.3 Mexico, Official Standard NOM-121-SCFI-2004, Rubber Industry - Inner Tubes for Pneumatic Tires of Automotive Vehicles and Bicycles - Safety Specifications and Test Methods.
9.4 Ecuador, Ministry of Foreign Trade, Industrialization, Fisheries and Competitiveness. Ecuadorian Technical Regulation for Tires.
9.5 Colombia, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism. Technical Regulation for Tires.
9.6 United Nations Regulations E/ECE/234 #30, E/ECE/324 #54.
9.7 United States standards FMVSS-109, FMSS-119 and FMSS-139.
9.8 National standards INTE-ISO: INTE ISO 4000-1 and INTE ISO 4209.
9.9 Brazilian Standards NIE-DQUAL-044 and Regulation No. 5.
------------------------ End of Technical Regulation------------------------- Article Tab