[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 73 (Friday, April 15, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22237-22238]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-08635]
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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS
Request for Public Comment on a Commercial Availability Request
Under the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).
ACTION: Request for public comments concerning a request for
modification of the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (USMFTA) rules of
origin for certain women's pants made from certain woven fabrics.
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SUMMARY: The Government of the United States received a request from
the Government of Morocco, dated March 9, 2016, on behalf of MODALINE
HOLDING to initiate consultations under Article 4.3.3 of the USMFTA.
The Government of Morocco is requesting that the United States and
Morocco (``the Parties'') consider revising the rules of origin for
women's pants to address availability of supply of certain woven
fabrics in the territories of the Parties. The President of the United
States may proclaim a modification to the USMFTA rules of origin for
textile and apparel products after the United States reaches an
agreement with the Government of Morocco on a modification under
Article 4.3.6 of the USMFTA to address issues of availability of supply
of fibers, yarns, or fabrics in the territories of the Parties. CITA
hereby solicits public comments on this request, in particular with
regard to whether certain woven fabrics can be supplied by the U.S.
domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner.
DATES: Comments must be submitted by May 16, 2016 to the Chairman,
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements, Room 30003,
United States Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria D'Andrea, Office of Textiles and
Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-1550.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: Section 203 (j)(2)(B)(i) of the United States--
Morocco Free Trade Agreement
Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 3805 note) (USMFTA Implementation
Act); Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended.
Background: Article 4.3.3 of the USMFTA provides that, on the
request of either Party, the Parties shall consult to consider whether
the rules of origin applicable to a particular textile or apparel good
should be revised to address issues of availability of supply of
fibers, yarns, or fabrics in the territories of the Parties. In the
consultations, pursuant to Article 4.3.4 of the USMFTA, each Party
shall consider data presented by the other Party that demonstrate
substantial production in its territory of a particular fiber, yarn, or
fabric. The Parties shall consider that there is substantial production
if a Party demonstrates that its domestic producers are capable of
supplying commercial quantities of the fiber, yarn, or fabric in a
timely manner. The USMFTA Implementation Act provides the President
with the authority to proclaim as part of the HTSUS, modifications to
the USMFTA rules of origin set out in Annex 4-A of the USMFTA as are
necessary to implement an agreement with Morocco under Article 4.3.6 of
the USMFTA, subject to the consultation and layover requirements of
Section 104 of the USMFTA Implementation Act. See Section
203(j)(2)(B)(i) of the USMFTA Implementation Act. Executive Order 11651
established CITA to supervise the implementation of textile trade
agreements and authorizes the Chairman of CITA to take actions or
recommend that appropriate officials or agencies of the United States
take actions necessary to implement textile trade agreements. 37 FR
4699 (March 4, 1972).
The Government of the United States received a request from the
Government of Morocco, dated March 9, 2016, on behalf of MODALINE
HOLDING, requesting that the United States consider whether the USMFTA
rule of origin for women's pants classified in HTSUS heading 6204
should be modified to allow the use of certain woven fabrics that are
not originating under the USMFTA. The fabrics subject to this request
are:
Fabric 1: 45%-52% polyester, 45%-52% rayon, 1%-7% spandex woven
synthetic bi-stretch fabric, classified in subheading 5515.11 of the
HTSUS;
Fabric 2: 60%-68% polyester, 29%-37% rayon, 1%-7% spandex woven
poly-viscose fabric, classified in subheading 5515.11 of the HTSUS;
[[Page 22238]]
Fabric 3: 31%-37% viscose, 17%-23% polyester, 17%-23% cotton, 13%-
19% wool, 5%-11% nylon, 1%-6% spandex woven herringbone fabric,
classified in subheading 5408.33 of the HTSUS;
Fabric 4: 94%-99% virgin wool, 1%-6% spandex, twill stretch flannel
reactive dyed fabric, classified in subheading 5112.11 of the HTSUS;
and
Fabric 5: 89%-95% polyester, 5%-11% spandex printed and solid woven
polyester crepe fabric (with filament yarn size of 120D + 40D*120D +
40D and a construction of 175*104), classified in subheading 5407.61 of
the HTSUS.
CITA is soliciting public comments regarding this request,
particularly with respect to whether the fabrics described above can be
supplied by the U.S. domestic industry in commercial quantities in a
timely manner. Comments must be received no later than May 16, 2016.
Interested persons are invited to submit such comments or information
electronically to [email protected], and/or in hard copy to:
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements, Room
30003, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20230.
If comments include business confidential information, commenters
must submit a business confidential version in hard copy to the
Chairman of CITA, and also provide a public version, either in hard
copy or electronically. CITA will protect any information that is
marked business confidential from disclosure to the full extent
permitted by law. All public versions of the comments will be posted on
OTEXA's Web site for Commercial Availability proceedings under the
Morocco FTA: http://otexa.trade.gov/Morocco_CA.htm.
Joshua Teitelbaum,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 2016-08635 Filed 4-14-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P