[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 188 (Wednesday, September 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 60067]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-24460]
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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
AGENCY: Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration.
ACTION: Publishing the New 12-Month Cap on Duty- and Quota-Free
Benefits.
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DATES: Effective Date: October 1, 2010.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Niewiaroski, International Trade
Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of
Commerce, (202) 482-4058.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: Title I, Section 112(b)(3) of the Trade and
Development Act of 2000 (TDA 2000), Pub. L. 106-200, as amended by
Division B, Title XXI, section 3108 of the Trade Act of 2002, Pub.
L. 107-210; Section 7(b)(2) of the AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004,
Pub. L. 108-274; Division D, Title VI, section 6002 of the Tax
Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 (TRHCA 2006), Pub. L. 109-432;
Presidential Proclamation 7350 of October 2, 2000 (65 FR 59321);
Presidential Proclamation 7626 of November 13, 2002 (67 FR 69459).
Background
Title I of 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 U.S. 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, subject to quantitative limitation.
Title VI of the TRHCA 2006 extended this special rule for lesser-
developed countries through September 30, 2012.
The AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004 provides that the quantitative
limitation for the twelve-month period beginning October 1, 2010 will
be an amount not to exceed 7 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. See Section
112(b)(3)(A)(ii)(I) of TDA 2000, as amended by Section 7(b)(2)(B) of
the AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004. Of this overall amount, apparel
imported under the special rule for lesser-developed countries is
limited to an amount not to exceed 3.5 percent of all apparel articles
imported into the United States in the preceding 12-month period. See
Section 112(b)(3)(B)(ii)(II) of TDA 2000, as amended by Section 6002(a)
of TRHCA 2006. Presidential Proclamation 7350 of October 2, 2000
directed CITA to publish the aggregate quantity of imports allowed
during each 12-month period in the Federal Register.
For the one-year period, beginning on October 1, 2010, and
extending through September 30, 2011, the aggregate quantity of imports
eligible for preferential treatment under these provisions is
1,733,484,674 square meters equivalent. Of this amount, 866,742,337
square meters equivalent is available to apparel articles imported
under the special rule for lesser-developed countries. 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.
Kimberly Glas,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 2010-24460 Filed 9-28-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P