[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 6, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38772-38773]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-16353]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Amendment to the 2010 Tariff Preference Level (TPL) for Nicaragua 
Under the Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade 
Agreement (CAFTA-DR)

AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Amending the 2010 TPL for Nicaragua.

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DATES: Effective Date: July 6, 2010.
SUMMARY: This notice reduces the 2010 TPL for Nicaragua to 99,238,862 
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 (Pub. 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

[[Page 38773]]

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 50 
million square meters equivalent in 2009, the fourth 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 2009, the shortfall in meeting the one-to-one commitment is 
761,138 square meters equivalent. This amount is being deducted from 
the 2010 TPL, resulting in a new TPL level for 2010 of 99,238,862 
square meters equivalent.

Kim Glas,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 2010-16353 Filed 7-2-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P