[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4287 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4287

 To amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States relating 
      to imports of certain wool products, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 5, 2004

 Mr. Houghton (for himself, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Shaw, Mrs. Emerson, Mr. 
Rogers of Alabama, Mr. Hobson, Mr. Reynolds, and Mr. Walsh) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and 
 Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States relating 
      to imports of certain wool products, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wool Suit and Textile Trade 
Extension Act of 2004''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION AND MODIFICATION OF DUTY SUSPENSION ON WOOL PRODUCTS, 
              WOOL RESEARCH FUND, WOOL DUTY REFUNDS.

    (a) Extension of Temporary Duty Reductions.--
            (1) Heading 9902.51.11.--Heading 9902.51.11 of the 
        Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``2005'' and inserting ``2010''; 
                and
                    (B) by striking ``17.5%'' and inserting ``10%''.
            (2) Heading 9902.51.12.--Heading 9902.51.12 of the 
        Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States is amended by 
        striking ``2005'' and inserting ``2010''.
            (3) Heading 9902.51.13.--Heading 9902.51.13 of the 
        Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States is amended by 
        striking ``2005'' and inserting ``2010''.
            (4) Heading 9902.51.14.--Heading 9902.51.14 of the 
        Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States is amended by 
        striking ``2005'' and inserting ``2010''.
    (b) Modification of Limitation on Quantity of Imports.--
            (1) Note 15.--U.S. Note 15 to subchapter II of chapter 99 
        of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States is 
        amended--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' after ``2002,''; and
                    (B) by striking ``year 2003'' and all that follows 
                through the end period and inserting the following: 
                ``years 2003 and 2004, and 5,500,000 square meter 
                equivalents in calendar year 2005 and each calendar 
                year thereafter for the benefit of persons who cut and 
                sew men's and boys' worsted wool suits and suit-like 
                jackets and trousers in the United States, allocated as 
                required by section 501(e)(1) of the Trade and 
                Development Act of 2000.''.
            (2) Note 16.--U.S. Note 16 to subchapter II of chapter 99 
        of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States is 
        amended--
                    (A) by striking ``shall be limited to 1,500,000'' 
                and inserting ``shall be limited to--
            ``(1) 1,500,000'';
                    (B) by striking ``and'' after ``2002,''; and
                    (C) by striking ``year 2003'' and all that follows 
                through the end 5period and inserting the following: 
                ``years 2003 and 2004, 5,000,000 square meter 
                equivalents in calendar year 2005 and each calendar 
                year thereafter for the benefit of persons who cut and 
                sew men's and boys' worsted wool suits and suit-like 
                jackets and trousers in the United States, allocated as 
                required by section 501(e)(1) of the Trade and 
                Development Act of 2000; and
            ``(b) 2,000,000 square meter equivalents in calendar year 
        2005 and each calendar year thereafter for the benefit of 
        manufacturers who weave worsted wool fabric in the United 
        States suitable for use in men's and boys' suits, allocated as 
        required by section 501(e)(2) of the Trade and Development Act 
        of 2000.''.
            (3) Conforming amendments.--
                    (A) Sunset staged reduction requirement.--Section 
                501(a)(2) of the Trade and Development Act of 2000 
                (Public Law 106-200; 114 Stat. 299) is amended by 
                inserting before the period ``for goods entered, or 
                withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, before 
                January 1, 2005''.
                    (B) Allocation of tariff rate quotas.--Section 
                501(e) of the Trade and Development Act of 2000 (Public 
                Law 106-200; 114 Stat. 300) is amended--
                            (i) by striking ``In implementing'' and 
                        inserting ``(1) In implementing'';
                            (ii) by striking ``16'' and inserting 
                        ``16(a)''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) In implementing the limitation on the quantity of 
        worsted wool fabrics under heading 9902.51.12 of the Harmonized 
        Tariff Schedule of the United States, as required by U.S. Note 
        16(b) of subchapter II of chapter 99 of such Schedule, for the 
        entry, or withdrawal from warehouse for consumption, the 
        Secretary of Commerce shall adopt regulations to allocate 
        fairly such quantity to manufacturers who weave worsted wool 
        fabric in the United States suitable for use in men's and boys' 
        suits and who apply for an allocation.''.
                    (C) Sunset authority to modify limitation on 
                quantity.--Section 504(b) of the Trade and Development 
                Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-200; 114 Stat. 301) is 
                repealed, effective January 1, 2005.
    (c) Extension of Duty Refunds and Wool Research Trust Fund.--
            (1) In general.--The United States Customs Service shall 
        pay to each manufacturer that receives a payment during 
        calendar year 2005 under section 505 of the Trade and 
        Development Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-200; 114 Stat. 303), as 
        amended by section 5101 of the Trade Act of 2002 (116 Stat. 
        1041), and that provides an affidavit, no later than March 1 of 
        the year of the payment, that it remains a manufacturer in the 
        United States as of January 1 of the year of the payment, 5 
        additional payments, each payment equal to the payment received 
        for calendar year 2005 as follows:
                    (A) The first payment to be made after January 1, 
                2006, but on or before April 15, 2006.
                    (B) The second, third, fourth, and fifth payments 
                to be made after January 1, but on or before April 15, 
                of each of the following four calendar years.
            (2) Successor-in-interest.--Any manufacturer that becomes a 
        successor-in-interest to a claimant of a payment under section 
        505 of the Trade and Development Act of 2000, as amended by 
        section 5101 of the Trade Act of 2002, because of--
                    (A) an assignment of the claim,
                    (B) an assignment of the original claimant's right 
                to manufacture under the same trade name,
                    (C) a reorganization,
        or otherwise, shall be eligible to claim the payment as if the 
        successor manufacturer were the original claimant, without 
        regard to section 3727 of title 31, United States Code. Such 
        right to claim payment as a successor shall be effective as if 
        the right were included in section 505 of the Trade and 
        Development Act of 2000.
            (3) Extension of wool research, development, and promotion 
        trust fund.--Section 506(f) of the Trade and Development Act of 
        2000 (Public Law 106-200; 114 Stat. 303), as amended by section 
        5102(c)(2) of the Trade Act of 2002 (116 Stat. 1047), is 
        amended by striking ``2006'' and inserting ``2011''.
            (4) Commerce authority to promote domestic employment.--
                    (A) Grants to manufacturers of worsted wool 
                fabrics.--The Secretary of Commerce shall provide to--
                            (i) persons who were, during calendar years 
                        1999, 2000, and 2001, manufacturers of worsted 
                        wool fabric of the kind described in heading 
                        9902.51.12 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of 
                        the United States, and
                            (ii) persons who were, during such calendar 
                        years, manufacturers of worsted wool fabric of 
                        the kind described in heading 9902.51.11 of the 
                        Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United 
                        States,
                grants in each of calendar years 2005 through 2010 in 
                the amounts determined under subparagraph (B).
                    (B) Amounts.--(i) The total amount of grants to 
                manufacturers under subparagraph (A)(i) shall be 
                $2,666,000 each calendar year, allocated among such 
                manufacturers on the basis of the percentage of each 
                manufacturer's production of the fabric described in 
                heading 9902.51.12 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of 
                the United States for calendar years 1999, 2000, and 
                2001, compared to the production of such fabric by all 
                such manufacturers who qualify under subparagraph 
                (A)(i) for such grants.
                    (ii) The total amount of grants to manufacturers 
                under subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be $2,666,000 each 
                calendar year, allocated among such manufacturers on 
                the basis of the percentage of each manufacturer's 
                production of the fabric described in heading 
                9902.51.11 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
                United States for calendar years 1999, 2000, and 2001, 
                compared to the production of such fabric by all 
                manufacturers who qualify under subparagraph (A)(ii) 
                for such grants.
                    (iii) Any grant awarded by the Secretary under this 
                paragraph shall be final and not subject to appeal or 
                protest.
            (5) Authorization.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
        and are hereby appropriated out of amounts in the general fund 
        of the Treasury not otherwise appropriated such sums as are 
        necessary to carry out this subsection.
    (d) Effective Date for Duty Reduction.--The amendment made by 
subsection (a)(1)(B) shall apply to goods entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 2005.

SEC. 3. LABELING OF WOOL PRODUCTS TO FACILITATE COMPLIANCE AND PROTECT 
              CONSUMERS.

    (a) In General.--Section 4 of the Wool Products Labeling Act of 
1939 (15 U.S.C. 68b(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph:
            ``(5) In the case of a wool product stamped, tagged, 
        labeled, or otherwise identified as--
                    ``(A) `Super 80's' or `80's', if the average fiber 
                diameter thereof does not average 19.5 microns or 
                finer;
                    ``(B) `Super 90's' or `90's', if the average fiber 
                diameter thereof does not average 19.0 microns or 
                finer;
                    ``(C) `Super 100's' or `100's', if the average 
                fiber diameter thereof does not average 18.5 microns or 
                finer;
                    ``(D) `Super 110's' or `110's', if the average 
                diameter of wool fiber thereof does not average 18.0 
                microns or finer;
                    ``(E) `Super 120's' or `120's', if the average 
                diameter of wool fiber thereof does not average 17.5 
                microns or finer;
                    ``(F) `Super 130's' or `130's', if the average 
                diameter of wool fiber thereof does not average 17.0 
                microns or finer;
                    ``(G) `Super 140's' or `140's', if the average 
                diameter of wool fiber thereof does not average 16.5 
                microns or finer;
                    ``(H) `Super 150's' or `150's', if the average 
                diameter of wool fiber thereof does not average 16.0 
                microns or finer;
                    ``(I) `Super 160's' or `160's', if the average 
                diameter of wool fiber thereof does not average 15.5 
                microns or finer;
                    ``(J) `Super 170's' or `170's', if the average 
                diameter of wool fiber thereof does not average 15.0 
                microns or finer;
                    ``(K) `Super 180's' or `180's', if the average 
                diameter of wool fiber thereof does not average 14.5 
                microns or finer;
                    ``(L) `Super 190's' or `190's', if the average 
                diameter of wool fiber thereof does not average 14.0 
                microns or finer;
                    ``(M) `Super 200's' or `200's', if the average 
                diameter of wool fiber thereof does not average 13.5 
                microns or finer; and
                    ``(N) `Super 210's' or `210's', if the average 
                diameter of wool fiber thereof does not average 13.0 
                microns or finer.
        In each such case, the average fiber diameter may be subject to 
        a variation of 0.25 microns, and may be subject to such other 
        standards or deviations therefrom as adopted by regulation by 
        the Commission.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to wool products manufactured on or after January 1, 2005.
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