General. Containers may be approved for transport under seal by design type at the manufacturing stage or, otherwise, at a stage subsequent to manufacture.

Design type approval. The Certifying Authority to whom a container is submitted for design type approval shall examine the drawings and detailed design specifications submitted with the application for approval. The Certifying Authority shall advise the applicant of any changes that must be made to the proposed design type so that approval may be granted. The Certifying Authority shall examine one or more containers to confirm that such containers comply with the technical requirements of part 1, Annex 7, TIR Convention, 1975, and Annex 4 of the Customs Convention on Containers, 1972. The Certifying Authority shall issue a certificate authorizing the applicant to affix an approval plate, as described in appendix 1 to part II, Annex 7 of the TIR Convention, 1975, and Annex 5 of the Customs Convention on Containers, 1972, for all containers manufactured in conformity with the specifications of the type of container approved. This certificate shall comply with the model certificate in appendix 2, part II, Annex 7 of the TIR Convention, 1975, and appendix 2 of Annex 5 of the Customs Convention on Containers, 1972.

After manufacture. The Certifying Authority to whom containers are submitted for approval after manufacture, shall examine as many containers as necessary to ascertain that they comply with the technical conditions prescribed in part 1, Annex 7, TIR Convention, 1975, and Annex 5 of the Customs Convention on Containers, 1972. The Certifying Authority shall issue a certificate of approval authorizing the applicant to affix an approval plate to the specific number or series of containers being approved. The certificate shall comply with the model certificate of approval in appendix 3, Part II, Annex 7, TIR Convention, 1975, and appendix 3, Annex 5, Customs Convention on Containers, 1972.

Supplementary examinations. If a container approved by design type is the subject of an extended production run or several production runs under one certificate of approval, the Certifying Authority shall confirm by examination of one or more containers during the manufacturing process, or by other means, that such containers continue to meet the approved drawings and detailed design specifications and the technical requirements of Annex 7 of the TIR Convention, 1975, and Annex 4 of the Customs Convention on Containers, 1972. For the purposes of this section, an extended production run shall be considered as a continuous run of many units over long periods of time, as well as a new run following completion of a previous run.