Sec. 5. Sense of Congress

337 words·~2 min read·/bill/114/s/892/is/section-5

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

It is the sense of Congress that— U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the TTA should be involved in supporting the negotiation of enforcement provisions of trade preference programs and free trade agreements affecting textiles and apparel articles; the TTA should conduct outreach to other Federal departments and agencies involved in overall trade policy, such as the Department of Commerce and the Office of the United States Trade Representative; the TTA should develop policies and procedures that provide guidance to the CEE and to the ports of entry of textile and apparel articles, including training of officials of U.S.

Customs and Border Protection; officials of the TTA should coordinate and collaborate with officials of the CEE to establish enforcement priorities, based on risk assessments, and a national enforcement response; the TTA headquarters office is currently below its optimal staffing levels and the TTA personnel efforts should be targeted at retaining senior staff and hiring new qualified personnel so that the division is brought up to optimal staffing levels, and these positions should be designated as not only policy positions, but enforcement positions as well; the TTA should implement special operations, Textile Product Verification Teams, and other actions under U.S.

Customs and Border Protection authority to ensure enforcement of customs and trade laws relating to imports of textile or apparel articles in a timely manner as concerns arise, particularly as such concerns relate to enforcement of the North American Free Trade Agreement, signed at Washington, Ottawa, and Mexico City December 8, 11, 14 and 17, 1992, the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement, signed at Washington August 5, 2004, and all other free trade agreements and trade preference programs, in order to prevent transshipments and origin fraud; officials of the TTA should coordinate and collaborate with foreign government counterparts to ensure effective enforcement of textile and apparel articles; and U.S.

Customs and Border Protection should ensure that seizures, detentions, special operations, and TPVTs remain the primary focus of its enforcement efforts relating to textile and apparel articles.