[Federal Register: March 7, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 46)]
[Notices]               
[Page 12394-12395]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07mr08-51]                         

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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

 
Limitations of Duty-Free Imports of Apparel Articles Assembled in 
Beneficiary ATPDEA Countries from Regional Country Fabric

March 4, 2008.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Publishing the 12-Month Cap on Duty Free Benefits under the 
extension of the ATPA

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EFFECTIVE DATE: March 1, 2008.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Authority: Section 3103 of the Trade Act of 2002, P.L. 107-210; 
Title VII of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 (TRHCA 
2006), P.L. 109-432; H.R. 1830, 110th Cong. (2007) (H.R. 1830); H.R. 
5264, 110th Cong. (2008) (H.R. 5264); Presidential Proclamation 7616 
of October 31, 2002 (67 FR 67283).
    Section 3103 of the Trade Act of 2002 amended the Andean Trade 
Preference Act (ATPA) to provide for duty and quota-free treatment for 
certain textile and apparel articles imported from designated Andean 
Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) beneficiary 
countries. Section 204(b)(3)(B)(iii) of the amended ATPA provides duty- 
and quota-free treatment for certain apparel articles assembled in 
ATPDEA beneficiary countries from regional fabric and components. More 
specifically, this provision applies to apparel articles sewn or 
otherwise assembled in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries from 
fabrics or from fabric components formed or from components knit-to-
shape, in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, from yarns wholly 
formed in the United States or one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries 
(including fabrics not formed from yarns, if such fabrics are 
classifiable under heading 5602 and 5603 of the Harmonized Tariff 
Schedule (HTS) and are formed in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary 
countries). Such apparel articles may also contain certain other 
eligible fabrics, fabric components, or components knit-to-shape.
    The TRHCA of 2006 extended the expiration of the ATPA to June 30, 
2007. See section 7002(a) of the TRHCA 2006. H.R. 1830 further extended 
the expiration of the ATPA to February 29, 2008. See section 1 of H.R. 
1830. H.R 5264 further extended the expiration of the ATPA to December 
31, 2008. See section 2 of H.R. 5264.
    For the period beginning on October 1, 2007, and extending through 
September 30, 2008, preferential tariff treatment is limited under the 
regional fabric provision to imports of qualifying apparel articles in 
an amount not to exceed 5 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. For the 
purpose of this notice, the 12-month period for which data are 
available is the 12-month period that ended July 31, 2007. In 
Presidential Proclamation 7616, (published in the Federal Register on 
November 5, 2002, 67 FR 67283), the President directed CITA to publish 
in the Federal Register the aggregate quantity of imports allowed 
during each period.
    For the period beginning on October 1, 2007, and extending through 
September 30, 2008, the aggregate quantity of imports eligible for 
preferential treatment under the regional fabric provision is 
1,247,713,244 square meters equivalent. Apparel articles entered in 
excess of this quantity will be subject to otherwise applicable 
tariffs. For the period after September 30, 2008, CITA will publish a 
Federal Register Notice establishing a new 12-month cap on duty-free 
benefits.
    This quantity is 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

[[Page 12395]]

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.

R. Matthew Priest,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 08-989 Filed 3-5-08; 1:02 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510-D-S