[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 97 (Monday, May 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23204-23206]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-10360]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Request for Public Comment on a Commercial Availability Request 
Under the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement

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

ACTION: Request for public comments concerning a request for 
modification of the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (USBFTA) rules of 
origin for certain knit and woven apparel made from certain knit and 
woven fabrics.

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SUMMARY: The Government of the United States received a request from 
the Government of Bahrain, submitted on March 23, 2017, to initiate 
consultations under Article 3.2.3 of the USBFTA. The Government of 
Bahrain is requesting that the United States and Bahrain (``the 
Parties'') consider revising the rules of origin for certain knit and 
woven apparel to address availability of supply of certain knit and 
woven fabrics in the territories of the Parties. The President of the 
United States may proclaim a modification to the USBFTA rules of origin 
for textile and apparel products after the United States reaches an 
agreement with the Government of Bahrain on a modification under 
Article 3.2.5 of the USBFTA to address issues of availability of supply 
of fibers, yarns, or fabrics in the territories of the Parties. CITA 
hereby solicits public comments on this request, in particular with 
regard to whether certain knit and woven fabrics can be supplied by the 
U.S. domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by July 21, 2017 to the Chairman, 
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements, Room 30003, 
United States Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Homer Boyer, Office of Textiles and 
Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-5156.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Authority:  Section 202(j)(2)(B) of the United States-Bahrain 
Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 3805 note) 
(USBFTA Implementation Act); Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, 
as amended.

    Background: Article 3.2.3 of the USBFTA provides that, on the 
request of either Party, the Parties shall consult to consider whether 
the rules of origin applicable to a particular textile or apparel good 
should be revised to address issues of availability of supply

[[Page 23205]]

of fibers, yarns, or fabrics in the territories of the Parties. In the 
consultations, pursuant to Article 3.2.4 of the USBFTA, each Party 
shall consider all data presented by the other Party that demonstrate 
substantial production in its territory of a particular fiber, yarn, or 
fabric. The Parties shall consider that there is substantial production 
if a Party demonstrates that its domestic producers are capable of 
supplying commercial quantities of the fiber, yarn, or fabric in a 
timely manner. The USBFTA Implementation Act provides the President 
with the authority to proclaim as part of the HTSUS, modifications to 
the USBFTA rules of origin set out in Annex 3-A of the USBFTA as are 
necessary to implement an agreement with Bahrain under Article 3.2.5 of 
the USBFTA, subject to the consultation and layover requirements of 
Section 104 of the USBFTA Implementation Act. See Section 
202(j)(2)(B)(i) of the USBFTA Implementation Act. Executive Order 11651 
established CITA to supervise the implementation of textile trade 
agreements and authorizes the Chairman of CITA to take actions or 
recommend that appropriate officials or agencies of the United States 
take actions necessary to implement textile trade agreements. 37 FR 
4699 (March 4, 1972), reprinted as amended in 7 U.S.C. Sec. 1854 note. 
The Government of the United States received a request from the 
Government of Bahrain, submitted on March 23, 2017, requesting that the 
United States consider whether the USBFTA rule of origin for certain 
knit and woven apparel should be modified to allow the use of certain 
knit and woven fabrics that are not originating under the USBFTA. The 
fabrics subject to this request, according to the fabric number in the 
request and organized by specific apparel end-use, are:
    Knit apparel classified in chapter 61 of the Harmonized Tariff 
Schedule of the United States (HTSUS):
    Fabric 26: Knit pile, looped fabric, 90% polyester and 10% 
elastomeric suede, yarn count: Brushed P105xP50D+SP40D, weight 300 
grams per meter squared (g/m2), width CW57'', classified in subheading 
6001.22 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 27: Knit fabric of polyester (85-97%) and elastomeric (5-
15%), classified in subheading 6004.10 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 28: Knit fabric of polyester (45-60%), cotton (35-50%) and 
elastomeric (5-12%), classified in subheading 6004.10 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 29: Knit fabric of rayon (59-75%), nylon (20-37%), and 
elastomeric (0-10%), classified in subheading 6006.42 of the HTSUS; and
    Fabric 35: Knit fabric of polyester (68-78%), rayon (19-29%), and 
elastomeric (0-8%), classified in subheading 6006.32 of the HTSUS.
    Woven apparel classified in chapter 62 of the HTSUS:
    Fabric 15: Bleached or dyed satin weave or twill weave fabric of at 
least 60% lyocell and up to 40% nylon, polyester, or elastomeric, that 
does not meet the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 2112 or 
ASTM 1506 protective standards, classified in heading 5516 of the 
HTSUS;
    Fabric 16: Woven seersucker fabric of cotton, classified in 
subheadings 5208.42, 5208.52 or 5209.41 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 17: Woven fabric of rayon (60-75%), nylon (30-35%), and 
elastomeric (1-5%), bleached, dyed, printed or of yarns of different 
colors, weighing 200-350 g/m\2,\ classified in subheadings 5516.91, 
5516.92, 5516.93 or 5516.94 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 18: Woven fabric of rayon (50-84%), polyester (6-49%), and 
elastomeric (1-10%), weighing less than 225 g/m2, classified in 
headings 5408 or 5516 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 19: Woven fabric of polyester (50-65%), rayon (34-49%), and 
elastomeric (1-10%), weighing less than 225 g/m2, classified in 
headings 5407, 5512, or 5515 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 20: Woven fabric of polyester (51-65%) and rayon (35-49%), 
weighing less than 225 g/m2, classified in headings 5407, 5512, or 5515 
of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 21: 100% rayon woven fabric, classified in headings 5408 or 
5516 of the HTSUS; and
    Fabric 22: Woven jacquard fabric of rayon staple fiber, weighing 
375 g/m2 or less, classified in subheadings 5516.13 or 5516.23 of the 
HTSUS.
    Men's or boys' suits, ensembles, suit-type jackets, blazers, 
trousers, bib and brace overalls, breeches and shorts (other than 
swimwear), classified in heading 6203 of the HTSUS; and women's or 
girls' suits, ensembles, suit-type jackets, blazers, dresses, skirts, 
divided skirts, trousers, bib and brace overalls, breeches and shorts 
(other than swimwear), classified in heading 6204 of the HTSUS:
    Fabric 1: Two-way stretch woven fabric of polyester (57-76%), rayon 
(18-37%), and elastomeric (1-11%), classified in subheading 5515.19 of 
the HTSUS;
    Fabric 2: Dyed rayon blend herringbone twill fabric of rayon (65-
75%) and polyester (25-35%), weighing more than 200 g/m 
\2\,, classified in subheading 5516.92 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 3: Two-way stretch woven fabric of polyester (50-85%), 
viscose rayon (13-47%), and elastomeric (1-10%), classified in 
subheading 5515.11 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 4: One-way stretch woven fabric of polyester (50-85%), 
viscose rayon (13-47%), and elastomeric (1-10%), classified in 
subheading 5515.11 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 5: Woven fabric of polyester (60-90%), rayon (10-40%), and 
elastomeric (0-6%), classified in subheadings 5407.52, 5407.53, 
5407.61, 5407.69, 5407.72, 5407.73, 5407.92, 5407.93, 5512.19, 5512.99, 
5515.12, and 5515.19 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 6: Woven indigo dyed fabric of cotton (95-100%) and 
elastomeric (0-5%), classified in subheadings 5208.39.6090 and 
5208.39.8090 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 7: Cotton corduroy woven fabric, classified in subheading 
5801.22 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 8: Polyester corduroy woven fabric, classified in subheading 
5801.32 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 9: Dyed sateen woven fabric of cotton (93%-100%) and 
elastomeric (0-7%), classified in subheading 5209.39.0020 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 10: Dobby weave fabric of cotton (93-99%) and elastomeric 
(1-7%), classified in subheading 5209.39.0080 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 11: Dobby weave fabric of 100% cotton, classified in 
subheading 5209.39 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 12: Woven fabric of spun modal rayon (50-95%), filament 
polyester (5-48%), and elastomeric (0-5%), classified in subheadings 
5516.12, 5516.13, 5516.22 and5516.23 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 13: Yarn-dyed woven fabric of lyocell staple fiber (55-85%) 
and cotton (15-45%), classified in subheadings 5516.13 and 5516.43 of 
the HTSUS;
    Fabric 14: Woven fabric of rayon (67-80%), nylon (15-35%), and 
elastomeric (2-6%), classified in subheadings 5516.22, 5516.23 and 
5516.24 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 23: Two-way stretch woven twill fabric of cotton (85-98%) 
and elastomeric (2-15%), classified in subheading 5209.32 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 24: Two-way stretch woven twill fabric of cotton (63-73%), 
polyester (20-30%), and elastomeric (2-12%), classified in subheading 
5211.43 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 25: Woven twill fabric of cotton (77-87%), polyester (12-
22%), and elastomeric (0-6%), classified in subheading 5211.43 of the 
HTSUS;

[[Page 23206]]

    Fabric 30: Woven twill fabric of viscose rayon (51-61%), cotton 
(34-44%), and elastomeric (0-10%), classified in subheading 
5516.42.0060 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 31: Two-way stretch woven twill fabric of cotton (47-57%), 
rayon (36-46%), and elastomeric (2-12%), classified in subheading 
5211.32 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 32: Woven fabric of cotton (92-100%) and elastomeric (0-8%), 
classified in subheading 5209.31 of the HTSUS;
    Fabric 33: Woven sateen fabric of 100% polyester, classified in 
subheading 5407.69 of the HTSUS; and
    Fabric 34: Woven twill fabric of polyester (40-50%), viscose rayon 
(38-48%), linen (3-13%), and elastomeric (0-9%), classified in 
subheading 5515.11 of the HTSUS.
    CITA is soliciting public comments regarding this request, 
particularly with respect to whether the fabrics described above can be 
supplied by the U.S. domestic industry in commercialquantities in a 
timely manner. Comments must be received no later than July 21, 2017.
    Interested persons are invited to submit such comments or 
information electronically to [email protected], and/or in 
hard copy to: Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements, Room 30003, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230.
    If comments include business confidential information, commenters 
must submit a business confidential version in hard copy to the 
Chairman of CITA, and also provide a public version,either in hard copy 
or electronically. CITA will protect any information that is marked 
business confidential from disclosure to the full extent permitted by 
law. All public versions of thecomments will be posted on OTEXA's Web 
site for Commercial Availability proceedings under the Bahrain FTA: 
http://otexa.trade.gov/Bahrain_CA.htm.

Terry Labat,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.
[FR Doc. 2017-10360 Filed 5-19-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P