[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 206 (Wednesday, October 24, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53779-53781]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-26780]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Notice of Solicitation of Comments on Modification of Worsted 
Wool Fabric Tariff Rate Quotas

AGENCY: Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration.

ACTION: Notice of solicitation of comments on requests for modification 
of tariff rate quota limitations on the import of certain worsted wool 
fabrics.

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DATES: To be considered, comments must be received or postmarked by 5 
p.m. November 13, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be submitted to: Deputy Assistant Secretary 
for Textiles, Apparel and Consumer Goods Industries, Room 3001, United 
States Department of Commerce. Washington, D.C. 20230. Six copies of 
comments should be submitted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sergio Botero, Office of Textiles and 
Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-4058.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Commerce (Department) 
hereby solicits comments on requests for an increase in the limitations 
on the quantity of imports of certain worsted wool fabric under the 
2002 tariff rate quotas established by the Trade and Development Act of 
2000. To be considered, comments must be received or postmarked by 5:00 
p.m. November 13, 2001 and must comply with the requirements of 15 CFR 
340 (66 FR 6459, published January 22, 2001). Thirty days after the end 
of the comment period, the Department will determine whether the 
limitations should be modified.

1. Background

    Title V of the Trade and Development Act of 2000 (the Act) creates 
two tariff rate quotas, providing for temporary reductions in the 
import duties on two categories of worsted wool fabrics suitable for 
use in making suits, suit-type jackets, or trousers. For worsted

[[Page 53780]]

wool fabric with average fiber diameters greater than 18.5 microns 
(Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) heading 
9902.51.11), the reduction in duty is limited to 2,500,000 square 
meters per year. For worsted wool fabric with average fiber diameters 
of 18.5 microns or less (HTS heading 9902.51.12), the reduction is 
limited to 1,500,000 square meters per year. Both these limitations may 
be modified by the President, not to exceed 1,000,000 square meters per 
year for each tariff rate quota.
    The Act requires the annual consideration of requests by U.S. 
manufacturers of men's or boys' worsted wool suits, suit-type jackets 
and trousers for modification of the limitations on the quantity of 
fabric that may be imported under the tariff rate quotas, and grants 
the President the authority to proclaim modifications to the 
limitations. In determining whether to modify the limitations, 
specified U.S. market conditions with respect to worsted wool fabric 
and worsted wool apparel must be considered. On January 22, 2001, the 
Department published regulations establishing procedures for 
considering requests for modification of the limitations. 66 FR 6459, 
15 CFR 340.
    On September 14, 2001, the Department published a notice in the 
Federal Register soliciting requests for modification of the 2002 
tariff rate quota limitations. The Department received four such 
requests from the following: Hartmarx Corporation (on its own behalf, 
on behalf of its wholly-owned subsidiaries including Hickey-Freeman, 
and on behalf of the Tailored Clothing Association); Hartz & Company, 
Inc.; Hugo Boss; and Tom James Company. These requests were for the 
maximum increase (1,000,000 square meters) in each of the two tariff 
rate quota limitations (HTS 9902.51.11 and HTS 9902.51.12). A summary 
of these requests is provided below. The full text of the request and 
exhibits, with the exception of business confidential information, is 
available for inspection between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. in Room 2233, 
United States Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, 
Washington D.C. 20230.
    Comments may be submitted by any interested person, including U.S. 
manufacturers of worsted wool fabric, wool yarn, wool top and wool 
fiber. Comments must comply with the requirements of 15 CFR 340. If the 
person submitting comments is a domestic producer of worsted wool 
fabric, comments should include, to the extent available, the following 
information for each limitation with respect to which comments are 
being made: 1) A list of domestic manufacturers of worsted wool suits, 
suit-type jackets, or trousers for whom orders were filled during the 
period July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2001, the date of such orders, the 
total quantity ordered and supplied in square meters of domestically 
produced worsted wool fabric and of imported worsted wool fabric, and 
the average price received per square meter of domestically produced 
worsted wool fabric and of imported worsted wool fabric for such 
orders; 2) A list of all requests to purchase worsted wool fabric 
during the period July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2001 that were rejected by 
the person submitting the comments, indicating the dates of the 
requests, the quantity requested, the price quoted, and the reasons why 
the request was rejected; 3) Data indicating the increase and/or 
decrease in production and sales for the period January 1, 2001 to June 
30, 2001 and the comparable six month period in the previous year of 
domestically-produced worsted wool fabrics used in the production of 
worsted wool suits, suit-type jackets and trousers; 4) Evidence of lost 
sales due to the temporary duty reductions on certain worsted wool 
fabric under the tariff rate quotas; and 5) Other evidence of the 
ability of domestic producers of worsted wool fabric to meet the needs 
of the manufacturers of worsted wool suits, suit-type jackets and 
trousers in terms of quantity, variety, and other relevant factors.
    Comments must be accompanied by a statement by the person 
submitting the request (if a natural person), or an employee, officer 
or agent of the legal entity submitting the request, with personal 
knowledge of the matters set forth therein, certifying that the 
information is complete and accurate, signed and sworn before a Notary 
Public, and acknowledging that false representations to a federal 
agency may result in criminal penalties under federal law. Any business 
confidential information provided that is marked business confidential 
will be kept confidential and protected from disclosure to the full 
extent permitted by law. To the extent business confidential 
information is provided, a non-confidential submission should also be 
provided, in which business confidential information is summarized or, 
if necessary, deleted.

II. Summary of Request

    All four requests, from Hartmarx Corporation (on its own behalf, on 
behalf of its wholly-owned subsidiaries including Hickey-Freeman, and 
on behalf of the Tailored Clothing Association), Hartz & Company, Inc., 
Hugo Boss, and Tom James Company, request the maximum possible increase 
(1 million square meters) in each of the two tariff rate quotas (HTS 
9902.51.11 and HTS 9902.51.12).
    The Hartmarx request claims that current government statistics 
demonstrate only a small percentage of imported worsted wool fabrics is 
being entered under the tariff rate quotas and that worsted wool fabric 
import data for the first six months of 2001, when annualized, 
demonstrate that in neither HTS category is there a large percentage of 
worsted wool fabric imports subject to duties that are covered by the 
tariff rate quota. Of the more than four million square meters of the 
finer worsted wool fabric imports (annualized), only 37 percent is 
subject to tariff rate quota duty-rates. Of the more than 10.5 million 
square meters of coarser worsted wool fabric imports (annualized), only 
24 percent is subject to tariff rate quota duty-rates.
    The Hartmarx request also addresses the six market factors that the 
Act requires be considered in determining whether to modify the tariff 
rate quota limitations. The request cites certain findings of the U.S. 
International Trade Commission in its report titled ``Certain Wool 
Articles: First Annual Report on U.S. Market Conditions'' 
(Investigation No. 332-427, USITC Publication 3454, September 2001) to 
support its claims that 1) there has been a decrease in the sale and 
production of domestically-produced worsted wool fabrics during 2000, 
with additional and significant production cutbacks during 2001; 2) 
there has been no decrease in the consumption of overall tailored 
worsted wool apparel on a square meter equivalent basis; 3) there is a 
growing inability of domestic producers of worsted wool fabrics to meet 
the needs of the domestic apparel manufacturers, and an increased need 
to rely on imported fabrics; 4) there is no evidence of reduced sales 
by domestic worsted wool fabric manufacturers because of any factor 
other than their decisions to reduce production; 5) there is evidence 
of lost sales by domestic apparel manufacturers because of an inability 
to access fabrics on a price competitive basis; and 6) the domestic 
textile industry is not losing sales because of imports of lower priced 
fabrics.
    The Hartmarx request claims the current market conditions for each 
relevant factor favor granting the maximum increase permitted under the 
Act and argues that such an increase would not harm the domestic 
textile industry because it would not displace current domestic fabric 
orders nor cover

[[Page 53781]]

a sizeable percentage of imports. The request claims that U.S. textile 
mills are not producing sufficient fabrics to satisfy the needs of the 
U.S. tailored clothing industry, arguing that the domestic textile 
industry has made business decisions that have eroded its capacity to 
supply tailored clothing companies. The request states that the 
tailored clothing industry has experienced significant economic injury 
as a result of tariff rate quota limitations that are too small, while 
the textile industry has demonstrated no harm as a result of the tariff 
rate quotas. The tailored clothing industry claims it has demonstrated 
that, given current import levels, the increase being sought does not 
cover a majority of the worsted wool fabrics that the industry has been 
importing. Therefore, the request states that the U.S. textile industry 
remains fully protected by existing duty rates on a majority of the 
fabric that the tailored clothing industry will continue to import, and 
by the significant duty rates charged on fabric even under the tariff 
rate quota.
    The Hartmarx request states that under the North American Free 
Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canada and Mexico can export to the United 
States more than 6.5 million square meter equivalents of duty-free 
tailored clothing manufactured with non-NAFTA fabrics. In addition, 
these 6.5 million square meters of fabric imported into Canada and 
Mexico are subject to effective duty rates far lower than the reduced 
rates U.S. tailored clothing companies pay on the four million square 
meters of tariff rate quota-subject fabric. The request claims that 
most of these 6.5 million square meter equivalents of tailored clothing 
represent lost sales for domestic apparel producers. The request claims 
that the textile industry has experienced significant financial benefit 
from the Act, specifically unlimited duty-free access to yarns, top, 
and fiber. In addition, the sheep industry received significant funding 
from the Act. The request claims that the tailored clothing industry 
has received little benefit to date.
    Hartz & Company, Inc., Hugo Boss, and Tom James Company associate 
themselves with the reasons and supporting material included in the 
petition submitted on behalf of the Tailored Clothing Association. In 
addition, these requesters argue the following reasons why the tariff 
rate quota limitations should be increased: 1) domestic fabric mills 
have significantly reduced their commitment to act as suppliers to 
domestic producers of men's and boys' worsted wool tailored clothing. 
Domestic producers of worsted wool fabric do not produce the fabric 
that the tailored clothing industry customers demand with respect to 
styling, variety, types, quality, and prices; 2) Canadian and Mexican 
manufacturers export duty-free to the United States more than 6.5 
million square meter equivalents of worsted wool apparel items (suits, 
suit-type jackets, and trousers) containing fabrics imported from 
outside NAFTA countries. These fabric imports are subject to lower duty 
rates than those paid by U.S. importers of worsted wool fabric for 
apparel, even for imports under the tariff rate quotas and the United 
States government should provide at least as much access to imported 
fabric as it has allowed to Canadian and Mexican competitors. Even if 
the full relief is granted, the domestic tailored clothing industry 
will be able to import only 6 million square meters of such fabric 
subject to comparable duty rates; and 3) the tariff rate quota 
allocations for calendar year 2001 when described as a percentage of 
fabric imports demonstrate the inadequacy of the tariff rate quota 
limitations.

    Dated: October 18, 2001.
Linda M. Conlin,
Assistant Secretary for Trade Development, Department of Commerce.
[FR Doc.01-26780 Filed 10-23-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-S