[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 120 (Thursday, September 4, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1685]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TEXTILE SHORT SUPPLY PROCEDURES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. PHILIP M. CRANE

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 3, 2003

  Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit for the Record and the 
benefit of my colleagues, a letter from Mr. David M. Spooner, Textile 
Negotiator for the United States Trade Representative, to Senator 
Charles E. Grassley, Chairman of the Committee on Finance, clarifying 
the textile commercial availability provisions in the Singapore and 
Chile Free Trade Agreements.

         Executive Office of the President, Office of the United 
           States Trade Representative, Washington, DC, July 25, 
           2003.
     Hon. Charles E. Grassley,
     Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Dirksen Senate 
         Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Grassley: I understand that the Committee has 
     received inquiries regarding the textile commercial 
     availability provisions in the Singapore and Chile Free Trade 
     Agreements and am therefore writing to clarify the 
     agreements' commercial availability sections.
       The Singapore FTA would deem as not commercially available 
     all products designated as such prior to November 2002 (prior 
     to the completion of the SFTA negotiations) for the AGOA and 
     CBTPA preference programs. The Chile FTA does not contain 
     such a provision. In the future, for both the Singapore and 
     Chile FTAs, to designate additional items as not commercially 
     available, either the United States or our trading partners 
     would have to utilize the consultation provisions of the 
     agreement's ``Revision of Rules of Origin'' section. This 
     section requires the Parties to consult, upon request, to 
     consider whether particular goods should be subject to 
     different rules of origin to address issues of availability 
     of supply of fibers, yarns or fabrics in the free trade area 
     and requires the Parties to endeavor to conclude their 
     consultations within 60 days of the request.
       I hope the above explanation is helpful. Please feel free 
     to have Committee staff contact my office at 202-395-3026 if 
     the Committee has any comments or questions.
           Sincerely,
                                                 David M. Spooner,
     Textile Negotiator.

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