[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 81 (Wednesday, April 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24794-24795]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09809]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
On behalf of the Committee for the Implementation of Textile
Agreements (CITA), the Department of Commerce will submit to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for
collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork
Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).
Agency: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
Title: Interim Procedures for Considering Requests under the
Commercial Availability
Provision of the United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement.
Form Number(s): N/A.
OMB Control Number: 0625-0273.
Type of Request: Regular submission.
Burden Hours: 89.
Number of Respondents: 16 (10 for Requests; 3 for Responses; 3 for
Rebuttals).
Average Hours per Response: 8 hours per Request; 2 hours per
Response; and 1 hour per Rebuttal.
Needs and Uses: Title II, Section 203(o) of the United States-
Panama Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (the ``Act'') [Pub.
L. 112-43] implements the commercial availability provision provided
for in Article 3.25 of the United States-Panama Trade Promotion
Agreement (the ``Agreement''). The Agreement entered into force on
October 31, 2012. Subject to the rules of origin in Annex 4.1 of the
Agreement, and pursuant to the textile provisions of the Agreement, a
fabric, yarn, or fiber produced in Panama or the United States and
traded between the two countries is entitled to duty-free tariff
treatment. Annex 3.25 of the Agreement also lists specific fabrics,
yarns, and fibers that the two countries agreed are not available in
commercial quantities in a timely manner from producers in Panama or
the United States. The items listed in Annex 3.25 are commercially
unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers. Articles containing these items
are entitled to duty-free or preferential treatment despite containing
inputs not produced in Panama or the United States.
The list of commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers may
be changed pursuant to the commercial availability provision in Chapter
3, Article 3.25, Paragraphs 4-6 of the Agreement. Under this provision,
interested entities from Panama or the United States have the right to
request that a specific fabric, yarn, or fiber be added to, or removed
from, the list of commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers
in Annex 3.25 of the Agreement.
Pursuant to Chapter 3, Article 3.25, paragraph 6 of the Agreement,
which requires that the President publish procedures for parties to
exercise the right to make these requests, Section 203(o)(4) of the Act
authorizes the President to establish procedures to
[[Page 24795]]
modify the list of fabrics, yarns, or fibers not available in
commercial quantities in a timely manner in either the United States or
Panama as set out in Annex 3.25 of the Agreement. The President
delegated the responsibility for publishing the procedures and
administering commercial availability requests to the Committee for the
Implementation of Textile Agreements (``CITA''), which issues
procedures and acts on requests through the U.S. Department of
Commerce, Office of Textiles and Apparel (``OTEXA'') (See Proclamation
No. 8894, 77 FR 66507, November 5, 2012).
The intent of the Commercial Availability Procedures is to foster
the use of U.S. and regional products by implementing procedures that
allow products to be placed on or removed from a product list, in a
timely manner, and in a manner that is consistent with normal business
practice. The procedures are intended to facilitate the transmission of
requests; allow the market to indicate the availability of the supply
of products that are the subject of requests; make available promptly,
to interested entities and the public, information regarding the
requests for products and offers received for those products; ensure
wide participation by interested entities and parties; allow for
careful review and consideration of information provided to
substantiate requests and responses; and provide timely public
dissemination of information used by CITA in making commercial
availability determinations.
CITA must collect certain information about fabric, yarn, or fiber
technical specifications and the production capabilities of Panamanian
and U.S. textile producers to determine whether certain fabrics, yarns,
or fibers are available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in
the United States or Panama, subject to Section 203(o) of the Act.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Frequency: Varies.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
This information collection request may be viewed at
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view the Department of
Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.
Dated: April 25, 2016.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-09809 Filed 4-26-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P