551.59—May the same individual sign both the Designation by Foreign Manufacturer and Acceptance by Agent?
(a)
Generally no; the Designation by Manufacturer must be signed by an official or employee of the foreign manufacturer and the Acceptance by Agent must be signed by the foreign manufacturer's agent, in the case of an individual, or by an official or employee, in the case of a domestic firm or corporation serving as its agent.
(b)
Occasionally an official of a foreign manufacturer also serves as an official of a domestic firm or corporation or is a permanent resident of the United States. In such cases, the official may serve as agent and sign the designation documents both on behalf of the foreign manufacturer and as agent. However, the foreign manufacturer must submit to NHTSA, along with the designation documents, a letter explaining that the individual signing the designation is both an official of the foreign manufacturer with authority to appoint an agent and a permanent resident of the United States or official of a domestic firm or corporation. If NHTSA does not receive an explanatory letter at the same time it receives the designation, the agency will deem the designation insufficient under this subpart and reject the submission.