Notices. Publishing the New 12-Month Cap on Duty- and Quota-Free Benefits
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/register/2004/09/22/04-21349·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
BILLING CODE 3510-CN-P COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS Limitations of Duty- and Quota-Free Imports of Apparel Articles Assembled in Beneficiary Sub-Saharan African Countries From Regional and Third-Country Fabric September 17, 2004. AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA). ACTION: Publishing the New 12-Month Cap on Duty- and Quota-Free Benefits. EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2004. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna Flaaten, International Trade Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce,
(202)482-3400. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Authority: Title I, Section 112(b)(3) of the Trade and Development Act of 2000, as amended by Section 3108 of the Trade Act of 2002 and Section 7(b)(2) of the AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004; Presidential Proclamation 7350 of October 4, 2000 (65 FR 59321); Presidential Proclamation 7626 of November 13, 2002 (67 FR 69459). Title I of the Trade and Development Act of 2000 (TDA 2000) provides for duty- and quota-free treatment for certain textile and apparel articles imported from designated beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries. Section 112(b)(3) of TDA 2000 provides duty- and quota-free treatment for apparel articles wholly assembled in one or more beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries from fabric wholly formed in one or more beneficiary countries from yarn originating in the U.S. or one or more beneficiary countries. This preferential treatment is also available for apparel articles assembled in one or more lesser-developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries, regardless of the country of origin of the fabric used to make such articles. This special rule for lesser-developed countries applies through September 30, 2004. TDA 2000 imposed a quantitative limitation on imports eligible for preferential treatment under these two provisions. The Trade Act of 2002 amended TDA 2000 to extend preferential treatment to apparel assembled in a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country from components knit-to-shape in a beneficiary country from U.S. or beneficiary country yarns and to apparel formed on seamless knitting machines in a beneficiary country from U.S. or beneficiary country yarns, subject to the quantitative limitation. The Trade Act of 2002 also increased the quantitative limitation but provided that this increase would not apply to apparel imported under the special rule for lesser-developed countries. Section 7(b)(2)(B) of the AGOA Acceleration Act extended the expiration of the quantitative limitations. It also further amended the percentages to be used in calculating the quantitative limitations for each twelve-month period, beginning on October 1, 2003. The AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004 provides that the quantitative limitation for the twelve-month period beginning October 1, 2004 will be an amount not to exceed 5.31025 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. See Section 112(b)(3)(A)(ii) of TDA 2000, as amended by Section 7(b)(2)(B) of the AGOA Acceleration Act. Of this overall amount, apparel imported under the special rule for lesser-developed countries is limited to an amount not to exceed 2.6428 percent of apparel imported into the United States in the preceding 12-month period. See Section 112(b)(3)(B)(ii) of TDA 2000, as amended by Section 7(b)(2)(B) of the AGOA Acceleration Act. For the purpose of this notice, the most recent 12-month period for which data are available is the 12-month period ending July 31, 2004. Presidential Proclamation 7350 directed CITA to publish the aggregate quantity of imports allowed during each 12-month period in the **Federal Register** . Presidential Proclamation 7626, published on November 18, 2002, modified the aggregate quantity of imports allowed during each 12-month period. For the one-year period, beginning on October 1, 2004, and extending through September 30, 2005, the aggregate quantity of imports eligible for preferential treatment under these provisions is 1,076,876,652 square meters equivalent. Of this amount, 535,938,914 square meters equivalent is available to apparel imported under the special rule for lesser-developed countries. These quantities will be recalculated for each subsequent year. Apparel articles entered in excess of these quantities will be subject to otherwise applicable tariffs. These quantities are 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. D. Michael Hutchinson, Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. [FR Doc. E4-2318 Filed 9-21-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-DR-S COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS Limitations of Duty- and Quota-Free Imports of Apparel Articles Assembled in Beneficiary ATPDEA Countries From Regional Country Fabric September 17, 2004. AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA). ACTION: Publishing the New 12-Month Cap on Duty and Quota Free Benefits. EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2004. 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: Section 3103 of the Trade Act of 2002; Presidential Proclamation 7616 of October 31, 2002 (67 FR 67283). 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. 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. For the one-year period, beginning on October 1, 2004, and extending through September 30, 2005, preferential tariff treatment is limited under the regional fabric provision to imports of qualifying apparel articles in an amount not to exceed 3.5 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. For the purpose of this notice, the 12-month period for which data are available is the 12-month period that ended July 31, 2004. 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 12-month period. For the one-year period, beginning on October 1, 2004, and extending through September 30, 2005, the aggregate quantity of imports eligible for preferential treatment under the regional fabric provision is 709,772,286 square meters equivalent. This quantity will be recalculated for each subsequent year, under Section 204(b)(3)(B)(iii). Apparel articles entered in excess of this quantity will be subject to otherwise applicable tariffs. 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. D. Michael Hutchinson, Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. [FR Doc. E4-2319 Filed 9-21-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-DR-S COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meetings Time and Date: 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, September 29, 2004. Place: 1155 21st St., NW., Washington, DC, 9th Floor Commission Conference Room. Status: Closed. Matters to be Considered: Rule Enforcement Review. Contact Person for More Information: Jean A. Webb, 202-418-5100. Jean A. Webb, Secretary of the Commission. [FR Doc. 04-21349 Filed 9-20-04; 10:24 am]