[Federal Register: November 29, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 230)]
[Notices]               
[Page 71141]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29no02-43]                         


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


 
Limitations of Duty-and Quota-Free Imports of Apparel Articles 
Assembled in Beneficiary Sub-Saharan African Countries from Regional 
and Third-Country Fabric


November 25, 2002.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).


ACTION: Publishing the Third 12-Month Cap on Duty-and Quota-Free 
Benefits.


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EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2002.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna Flaaten, International Trade 
Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, (202) 482-3400.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:


    Authority: Title I, Section 112(b)(3) of the Trade and 
Development Act of 2000, Section 3108 of the Trade Act of 2002; 
Presidential Proclamation 7350 of October 4, 2000 (65 FR 59321); 
Presidential Proclamation 7626 of November 13, 2002, 67 FR 69459).
    Title I of the Trade and Development Act of 2000 (TDA 2000) 
provides for duty-and quota-free treatment for certain textile and 
apparel articles imported from designated beneficiary sub-Saharan 
African countries. Section 112(b)(3) of TDA 2000 provides duty-and 
quota-free treatment for apparel articles wholly assembled in one or 
more beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries from fabric wholly 
formed in one or more beneficiary countries from yarn originating in 
the United States or one or more beneficiary countries. This 
preferential treatment is also available for apparel articles assembled 
in one or more lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African 
countries, regardless of the country of origin of the fabric used to 
make such articles. This special rule for lesser developed countries 
applies through September 30, 2004. TDA 2000 imposed a quantitative 
limitation on imports eligible for preferential treatment under these 
two provisions.
    The Trade Act of 2002 amended TDA 2000 to extend preferential 
treatment to apparel assembled in a beneficiary sub-Saharan African 
country from components knit-to-shape in a beneficiary country from 
U.S. or beneficiary country yarns and to apparel formed on seamless 
knitting machines in a beneficiary country from U.S. or beneficiary 
country yarns, subject to the quantitative limitation. The Trade Act of 
2002 also increased the quantitative limitation but provided that this 
increase would not apply to apparel imported under the special rule for 
lesser developed countries. The Trade Act of 2002 provides that the 
quantitative limitation for the year beginning October 1, 2002 will be 
an amount not to exceed 4.2414 percent of the aggregate square meter 
equivalents of all apparel articles imported into the United States in 
the preceding 12-month period for which data are available. Of this 
overall amount, apparel imported under the special rule for lesser 
developed countries is limited to an amount not to exceed 2.0714 
percent of apparel imported into the United States in the preceding 12-
month period. For the purpose of this notice, the most recent 12-month 
period for which data are available is the 12-month period ending July 
31, 2002.
    Presidential Proclamation 7350 directed CITA to publish the 
aggregate quantity of imports allowed during each 12-month period in 
the Federal Register. Presidential Proclamation 7626, published on 
November 18, 2002, modified the aggregate quantity of imports allowed 
during each 12-month period.
    For the one-year period, beginning on October 1, 2002, and 
extending through September 30, 2003, the aggregate quantity of imports 
eligible for preferential treatment under these provisions is 
735,905,928 square meter equivalents. Of this amount, 359,399,147 
square meter equivalents is available to apparel imported under the 
special rule for lesser developed countries. These quantities will be 
recalculated for each subsequent year. Apparel articles entered in 
excess of these quantities will be subject to otherwise applicable 
tariffs.
    These quantities are calculated using the aggregate square meter 
equivalents of all apparel articles imported into the United States, 
derived from the set of Harmonized System lines listed in the Annex to 
the World Trade Organization Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC), 
and the conversion factors for units of measure into square meter 
equivalents used by the United States in implementing the ATC.


James C. Leonard III,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc.02-30412 Filed 11-26-02; 11:58 am]