[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 184 (Thursday, September 24, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48714-48715]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-23118]


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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 21, 2009.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Publishing the New 12-Month Cap on Duty- and Quota-Free 
Benefits.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Niewiaroski, International Trade 
Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, (202) 482-4058.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Authority: Title I, Section 112(b)(3) of the Trade and 
Development Act of 2000 (TDA 2000), P.L. 106-200, as amended by 
Division B, Title XXI, section 3108 of the Trade Act of 2002, P.L. 
107-210; Section 7(b)(2) of the AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004, P.L. 
108-274; Division D, Title VI, section 6002 of the Tax Relief and 
Health Care Act of 2006 (TRHCA 2006), P.L. 109-432; Presidential 
Proclamation 7350 of October 2, 2000 (65 FR 59321); Presidential 
Proclamation 7626 of November 13, 2002 (67 FR 69459).

    Title I of 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, subject to quantitative limitation. 
Title VI of the TRHCA 2006 extended this special rule for lesser-
developed countries through September 30, 2012.
    The AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004 provides that the quantitative 
limitation for the twelve-month period beginning October 1, 2009 will 
be an amount not to exceed 7 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)(I) of TDA 2000, as amended by Section 7(b)(2)(B) of 
the AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004. Of this overall amount, apparel 
imported under the special rule for lesser-developed countries is 
limited to an amount not to exceed 3.5 percent of all apparel articles 
imported into the United States in the preceding 12-month period. See 
Section 112(b)(3)(B)(ii)(II) of TDA 2000, as amended by Section 6002(a) 
of TRHCA 2006. Presidential Proclamation 7350 of October 2, 2000 
directed CITA to publish the aggregate quantity of imports allowed 
during each 12-month period in the Federal Register.
    For the one-year period, beginning on October 1, 2009, and 
extending through September 30, 2010, the aggregate quantity of imports 
eligible for preferential treatment under these

[[Page 48715]]

provisions is 1,628,793,037 square meters equivalent. Of this amount, 
814,396,518 square meters equivalent is available to apparel articles 
imported under the special rule for lesser-developed countries. 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.

Kimberly Glas,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. E9-23118 Filed 9-23-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS