[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 191 (Thursday, October 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59478-59479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-23493]
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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: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).
ACTION: Publishing the New 12-Month Cap on Duty- and Quota-Free
Benefits.
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DATES: Effective October 1, 2014.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Niewiaroski, Jr., International
Trade Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of
Commerce, (202) 482-2496.
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,
and section 1, Pub. L. 112-163, August 10, 2012; Presidential
Proclamation 7350 of October 2, 2000 (65 FR 59321); and Presidential
Proclamation 7626 of November 13, 2002 (67 FR 69459).
[[Page 59479]]
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. Public Law 112-163 extended this special rule
for lesser-developed countries through September 30, 2015.
The AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004 provides that the quantitative
limitation for the twelve-month period beginning October 1, 2014 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, 2014, and
extending through September 30, 2015 the aggregate quantity of imports
eligible for preferential treatment under these provisions is
1,833,741,923 square meters equivalent. Of this amount, 916,870,961
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.
Janet E. Heinzen,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile
Agreements.
[FR Doc. 2014-23493 Filed 10-1-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P