[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 125 (Friday, June 27, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 36494]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14638]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Amendment to the 2008 Tariff Preference Level (TPL) for Nicaragua 
under the Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade 
Agreement (CAFTA-DR)

June 23, 2008.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Amending the 2008 TPL for Nicaragua.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 27, 2008.
SUMMARY:  This notice reduces the 2008 TPL for Nicaragua to 87,897,046 
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 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 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 30 
million square meters equivalent in 2007, the second 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 2007, the shortfall in meeting the one-to-one commitment is 
12,102,954 square meters equivalent. This amount is being deducted from 
the 2008 TPL, resulting in a new TPL level for 2008 of 87,897,046 
square meters equivalent.

R. Matthew Priest,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. E8-14638 Filed 6-26-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-S