Textile and apparel categories: Sub-Saharan African countries; import limitations,

[Federal Register: September 26, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 186)]

[Notices]

[Page 56112]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr26se06-44]

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

September 21, 2006. AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Publishing the New 12-Month Cap on Duty- and Quota-Free Benefits.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2006.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: Title I, Section 112(b)(3) of the Trade and Development Act of 2000, as amended by Section 3108 of the Trade Act of 2002 and Section 7(b)(2) of the AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004; Presidential Proclamation 7350 of October 4, 2000 (65 FR 59321); Presidential Proclamation 7626 of November 13, 2002 (67 FR 69459).

Title I of the Trade and Development Act of 2000 (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. This special rule for lesser-developed countries applied through September 30, 2004. TDA 2000 imposed a quantitative limitation on imports eligible for preferential treatment under these two provisions.

The Trade Act of 2002 amended TDA 2000 to extend preferential treatment to apparel assembled in a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country from components knit-to-shape in a beneficiary country from U.S. or beneficiary country yarns and to apparel formed on seamless knitting machines in a beneficiary country from U.S. or beneficiary country yarns, subject to the quantitative limitation. The Trade Act of 2002 also increased the quantitative limitation but provided that this increase would not apply to apparel imported under the special rule for lesser-developed countries. Section 7(b)(2)(B) of the AGOA Acceleration Act extended the expiration of the quantitative limitation through September 30, 2015, and the expiration of the limitation for the special rule for lesser-developed countries through September 30, 2007. It also further amended the percentages to be used in calculating the quantitative limitations for each twelve-month period, beginning on October 1, 2003. The AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004 provides that the quantitative limitation for the twelve-month period beginning October 1, 2006 will be an amount not to exceed 6.43675 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 this overall amount, apparel imported under the special rule for lesser-developed countries is limited to an amount not to exceed 1.6071 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 7(b)(2)(B) of the AGOA Acceleration Act. For the purpose of this notice, the most recent 12-month period for which data are available is the 12-month period ending July 31, 2006.

Presidential Proclamation 7350 directed CITA to publish the aggregate quantity of imports allowed during each 12-month period in the Federal Register. Presidential Proclamation 7626, published on November 18, 2002, modified the aggregate quantity of imports allowed during each 12-month period.

For the one-year period, beginning on October 1, 2006, and extending through September 30, 2007, the aggregate quantity of imports eligible for preferential treatment under these provisions is 1,498,846,694 square meters equivalent. Of this amount, 374,225,583 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.

Philip J. Martello, Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc. E6-15735 Filed 9-25-06; 8:45 am]