[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40287-40288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-14320]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Amendment to the 2007 Tariff Preference Level (TPL) for Nicaragua 
under the Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade 
Agreement (CAFTA-DR)

July 19, 2007.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Amending the 2007 TPL for Nicaragua.

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EFFECTIVE DATE:  July 24, 2007.
SUMMARY: This notice reduces the 2007 TPL for Nicaragua to 97,584,339 
square meters equivalent to account for the shortfall in meeting the 
one-to-one commitment for cotton and man-made fiber woven trousers 
exported from Nicaragua to the United States.

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


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Authority: Annex 3.28 of the CAFTA-DR; Section 1634(a)(2) and 
(c)(2) of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-280); 
Presidential Proclamation 8111 of February 28, 2007.

BACKGROUND:

    Annex 3.28 of the CAFTA-DR establishes a TPL for non-originating 
apparel goods of Nicaragua. Section 1634(a)(2) of the Pension 
Protection Act references the exchange of letters between the United 
States and Nicaragua, which establishes the one-to-one commitment for 
cotton and man-made fiber woven trousers. Section 1634(c)(2) of the 
Pension Protection Act authorizes the President to proclaim a reduction 
in the overall limit in the TPL if the President determines that 
Nicaragua has failed to comply with the one-to-one commitment. In 
Presidential Proclamation 8111, the President delegated to CITA the 
authority to determine whether Nicaragua had failed

[[Page 40288]]

to comply with the one-to-one commitment and to reduce the overall 
limit in the TPL.

    In an exchange of letters dated March 24 and 27, 2006, Nicaragua 
agreed that for each square meter equivalent of exports of cotton and 
man-made fiber woven trousers entered under the TPL, Nicaragua would 
export to the United States an equal amount of cotton and man-made 
fiber woven trousers made of U.S. formed fabric of U.S. formed yarn. 
This commitment for cotton woven trousers applies to the first 20 
million square meters equivalent in the first year after the date of 
entry into force of the CAFTA-DR. Further, any shortfall in meeting 
this commitment that was not rectified by April 1 of the succeeding 
year would be applied against the TPL for the succeeding year. For 
2006, the shortfall in meeting the one-to-one commitment is 2,415,661 
square meters equivalent. This amount is being deducted from the 2007 
TPL, resulting in a new TPL level for 2007 of 97,584,339 square meters 
equivalent.

Janet Heinzen,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.
[FR Doc. E7-14320 Filed 7-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P