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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 57 (Monday, March 25, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 17923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-06681]

[[Page 17923]]

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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Determination Under the Textile and Apparel Commercial 
Availability Provision of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United 
States Free Trade Agreement (``CAFTA-DR Agreement'')

AGENCY: The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

ACTION: Determination to add a product in unrestricted quantities to 
Annex 3.25 of the CAFTA-DR Agreement.

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DATES: Effective Date: March 25, 2013.
SUMMARY: The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements 
(``CITA'') has determined that certain three-thread fleece fabric with 
soft hand pigment, as specified below, is not available in commercial 
quantities in a timely manner in the CAFTA-DR countries. The product 
will be added to the list in Annex 3.25 of the CAFTA-DR Agreement in 
unrestricted quantities.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Dybczak, Office of Textiles and 
Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-3651.
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON-LINE: http://web.ita.doc.gov/tacgi/CaftaReqTrack.nsf under ``Approved Requests,'' Reference number: 
177.2013.02.21.Fabric.SoriniSametforGaranMfg.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

    Authority: The CAFTA-DR Agreement; Section 203(o)(4) of the 
Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade 
Agreement Implementation Act (``CAFTA-DR Implementation Act''), Pub. 
Law 109-53; the Statement of Administrative Action, accompanying the 
CAFTA-DR Implementation Act; and Presidential Proclamations 7987 
(February 28, 2006) and 7996 (March 31, 2006).

Background

    The CAFTA-DR Agreement provides a list in Annex 3.25 for fabrics, 
yarns, and fibers that the Parties to the CAFTA-DR Agreement have 
determined are not available in commercial quantities in a timely 
manner in the territory of any Party. The CAFTA-DR Agreement provides 
that this list may be modified pursuant to Article 3.25(4)-(5), when 
the President of the United States determines that a fabric, yarn, or 
fiber is not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in 
the territory of any Party. See Annex 3.25 of the CAFTA-DR Agreement; 
see also section 203(o)(4)(C) of the CAFTA-DR Implementation Act.
    The CAFTA-DR Implementation Act requires the President to establish 
procedures governing the submission of a request and providing 
opportunity for interested entities to submit comments and supporting 
evidence before a commercial availability determination is made. In 
Presidential Proclamations 7987 and 7996, the President delegated to 
CITA the authority under section 203(o)(4) of CAFTA-DR Implementation 
Act for modifying the Annex 3.25 list. Pursuant to this authority, on 
September 15, 2008, CITA published modified procedures it would follow 
in considering requests to modify the Annex 3.25 list of products 
determined to be not commercially available in the territory of any 
Party to CAFTA-DR (Modifications to Procedures for Considering Requests 
Under the Commercial Availability Provision of the Dominican Republic-
Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement, 73 FR 53200) 
(``CITA's procedures'').
    On February 21, 2013, the Chairman of CITA received a request for a 
Commercial Availability determination (``Request'') from Sorini Samet & 
Associates LLC on behalf of Garan Manufacturing, Inc. for certain 
three-thread fleece fabric with soft hand pigment, as specified below. 
On February 25, 2013, in accordance with CITA's procedures, CITA 
notified interested parties of the Request, which was posted on the 
dedicated Web site for CAFTA-DR Commercial Availability proceedings. In 
its notification, CITA advised that any Response with an Offer to 
Supply (``Response'') must be submitted by March 7, 2013, and any 
Rebuttal Comments to a Response must be submitted by March 13, 2013, in 
accordance with sections 6 and 7 of CITA's procedures. No interested 
entity submitted a Response to the Request advising CITA of its 
objection to the Request and its ability to supply the subject product.
    In accordance with section 203(o)(4)(C) of the CAFTA-DR 
Implementation Act, and section 8(c)(2) of CITA's procedures, as no 
interested entity submitted a Response objecting to the Request and 
providing an offer to supply the subject product, CITA has determined 
to add the specified fabric to the list in Annex 3.25 of the CAFTA-DR 
Agreement.
    The subject product has been added to the list in Annex 3.25 of the 
CAFTA-DR Agreement in unrestricted quantities. A revised list has been 
posted on the dedicated Web site for CAFTA-DR Commercial Availability 
proceedings.

Specifications: Certain Three-Thread Fleece Fabric With Soft Hand 
Pigment

    HTS: 6001.21.
    Overall fiber content: Cotton--57 to 63%; Polyester--37 to 43%.
    Gauge: 21.

Face Yarn

    Fiber content: 57-63% combed cotton; 37-43% polyester ring spun.
    Yarn size: 47.4/1-57.6/1 (metric); 28/1--34/1 (English).

Tie Yarn

    Fiber content: 100% polyester.
    Yarn size: 157.9-191.5/48 filament (metric); 47-57 denier 48 
filament (English).

Fleece Yarn

    Fiber content: 72-78% carded cotton, 22-28% polyester.
    Yarn Size: 18.6/1-28.8/1(metric); 11/1-17/1 (English).
    Weight: 233.9-267.8 g/square meter (6.9-7.8 oz./square yard).
    Width: 152.4 cm cuttable or greater, open width (60'' cuttable or 
greater, open width).
    Finish: Bleached and rotary printed with soft hand pigment 
(process), or piece dyed and rotary printed with soft hand pigment 
(process) (see note).

Performance Criteria

    1. Torque must not exceed 4% (must meet AATCC 179).
    2. Vertical and horizontal shrinkage must be under 5%.
    3. Must meet a class-1 flammability rating.

    Note: The attributes listed for yarn size relate to the size of 
the yarn prior to knitting. The measurements for fabric construction 
and weight relate to the fabric prior to garment production. Some 
variations may occur in these measurements as a result of the 
manufacturing process.

    Note (Finishing): A soft hand pigment is a known industry term. 
It refers a process which involves the use of special binding 
agents, typically acrylic polymers used to affix the pigments to 
fabrics. The bonding agents used in soft hand pigment printing 
process have lower glass transition temperatures. The glass-
transition, or glass transition, is the reversible transition in 
amorphous materials (or in amorphous regions within semi-crystalline 
materials) from a hard and relatively brittle state into a molten or 
rubber-like state.

Kim Glas,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 2013-06681 Filed 3-22-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
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