[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 190 (Monday, October 1, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 59913]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-24137]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Amendment of Limitation of Duty- and Quota-Free Imports of 
Apparel Articles Assembled in Beneficiary ATPDEA Countries From 
Regional Country Fabric

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

ACTION: Amending the 12-month cap on duty and quota free benefits.

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DATES: Effective Date: October 1, 2012.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Authority: Section 3103 of the Trade Act of 
2002, Public Law 107-210; Presidential Proclamation 7616 of October 31, 
2002, 67 FR 67283 (November 5, 2002); Executive Order 13277, 67 FR 
70305 (November 19, 2002); and the Office of the United States Trade 
Representative's Notice of Authority and Further Assignment of 
Functions, 67 FR 71606 (November 25, 2002).
    Section 3103 of the Trade Act of 2002 amended the Andean Trade 
Preference Act (ATPA) to provide for duty and quota-free treatment for 
certain textile and apparel articles imported from designated Andean 
Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) beneficiary 
countries. Section 204(b)(3)(B)(iii) of the amended ATPA provides duty- 
and quota-free treatment for certain apparel articles assembled in 
ATPDEA beneficiary countries from regional fabric and components, 
subject to quantitative limitation. More specifically, this provision 
applies to apparel articles sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more 
ATPDEA beneficiary countries from fabrics or from fabric components 
formed or from components knit-to-shape, in one or more ATPDEA 
beneficiary countries, from yarns wholly formed in the United States or 
one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries (including fabrics not formed 
from yarns, if such fabrics are classifiable under heading 5602 and 
5603 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) and are formed in one or 
more ATPDEA beneficiary countries). Such apparel articles may also 
contain certain other eligible fabrics, fabric components, or 
components knit-to-shape.
    Title VII of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act (TRHCA) of 2006, 
Public Law 107-432, extended the expiration of the ATPA to June 30, 
2007. See Section 7002(a) of the TRHCA 2006. H.R. 1830, 110th Cong. 
(2007), further extended the expiration of the ATPA to February 29, 
2008. H.R. 5264, 110th Cong. (2008), further extended the expiration of 
the ATPA to December 31, 2008. H.R. 7222, 110th Cong. (2008), further 
extended the expiration of the ATPA to December 31, 2009. H.R 4284, 
111th Cong. (2009), further extended the expiration of the ATPA to 
December 31, 2010. H.R 6517, 111th Cong. (2010), further extended the 
expiration of the ATPA to February 12, 2011. H.R 3078, 112th Cong. 
(2011), further extended the expiration of the ATPA to July 31, 2013.
    For the period beginning on October 1, 2012 and extending through 
July 31, 2013, preferential tariff treatment is limited under the 
regional fabric provision to imports of qualifying apparel articles in 
an amount not to exceed 5 percent of the aggregate square meter 
equivalents of all apparel articles imported into the United States in 
the preceding 12-month period for which data are available. The 12-
month period for which data are available is the 12-month period that 
ended July 31, 2012. This quantity is calculated using the aggregate 
square meter equivalents of all apparel articles imported into the 
United States, derived from the set of Harmonized System lines listed 
in the Annex to the World Trade Organization Agreement on Textiles and 
Clothing (ATC), and the conversion factors for units of measure into 
square meter equivalents used by the United States in implementing the 
ATC. In Presidential Proclamation 7616 (published in the Federal 
Register on November 5, 2002, 67 FR 67283), the President directed CITA 
to publish in the Federal Register the aggregate quantity of imports 
allowed during each period.
    The purpose of this notice is to extend the period of the 
quantitative limitation for preferential tariff treatment under the 
regional fabric provision for imports of qualifying apparel articles 
from Ecuador through July 31, 2013. For the period beginning on October 
1, 2012 and extending through July 31, 2013, the aggregate quantity of 
imports eligible for preferential treatment under the regional fabric 
provision is 1,341,030,128 square meters equivalent. Apparel articles 
entered in excess of this quantity will be subject to otherwise 
applicable tariffs.

Kim Glas,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 2012-24137 Filed 9-28-12; 8:45 am]
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