81 FR 22236 - Request for Public Comment on a Commercial Availability Request Under the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 73 (April 15, 2016)

The Government of the United States received a request from the Government of Morocco, dated March 1, 2016, on behalf of ARYANS to initiate consultations under Article 4.3.3 of the USMFTA. The Government of Morocco is requesting that the United States and Morocco (``the Parties'') consider revising the rules of origin for dresses, skirts, blouses and tops to address availability of supply of certain woven fabric in the territories of the Parties. The President of the United States may proclaim a modification to the USMFTA rules of origin for textile and apparel products after the United States reaches an agreement with the Government of Morocco on a modification under Article 4.3.6 of the USMFTA 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 woven fabric can be supplied by the U.S. domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 73 (Friday, April 15, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22236-22237]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-08632]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Request for Public Comment on a Commercial Availability Request 
Under the U.S.-Morocco 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.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (USMFTA) rules of 
origin for dresses, skirts, blouses and tops made from certain woven 
fabric.

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SUMMARY: The Government of the United States received a request from 
the Government of Morocco, dated March 1, 2016, on behalf of ARYANS to 
initiate consultations under Article 4.3.3 of the USMFTA. The 
Government of Morocco is requesting that the United States and Morocco 
(``the Parties'') consider revising the rules of origin for dresses, 
skirts, blouses and tops to address availability of supply of certain 
woven fabric in the territories of the Parties. The President of the 
United States may proclaim a modification to the USMFTA rules of origin 
for textile and apparel products after the United States reaches an 
agreement with the Government of Morocco on a modification under 
Article 4.3.6 of the USMFTA 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 woven fabric can be supplied by the U.S. 
domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by May 16, 2016 to the Chairman, 
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements, Room 30003, 
United States Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria D'Andrea, Office of Textiles and 
Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-1550.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Authority: Section 203 (j)(2)(B)(i) of the United States--
Morocco Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 3805 
note) (USMFTA Implementation Act); Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 
1972, as amended.

    Background: Article 4.3.3 of the USMFTA 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 of 
fibers, yarns, or fabrics in the territories of the Parties. In the 
consultations, pursuant to Article 4.3.4 of the USMFTA, each Party 
shall consider 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.

[[Page 22237]]

The USMFTA Implementation Act provides the President with the authority 
to proclaim as part of the HTSUS, modifications to the USMFTA rules of 
origin set out in Annex 4-A of the USMFTA as are necessary to implement 
an agreement with Morocco under Article 4.3.6 of the USMFTA, subject to 
the consultation and layover requirements of Section 104 of the USMFTA 
Implementation Act. See Section 203(j)(2)(B)(i) of the USMFTA 
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).
    The Government of the United States received a request from the 
Government of Morocco, dated March 1, 2016, on behalf of ARYANS, 
requesting that the United States consider whether the USMFTA rule of 
origin for dresses, skirts, blouses and tops classified in HTSUS 
chapter 62, should be modified to allow the use of 87%-93% cotton/5%-9% 
polyester/2%-4% elastane woven fabric classified in subheading 5209.42 
of the HTSUS that is not originating under the USMFTA.
    CITA is soliciting public comments regarding this request, 
particularly with respect to whether 87%-93% cotton/5%-9% polyester/2%-
4% elastane woven fabric described above can be supplied by the U.S. 
domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner. Comments 
must be received no later than May 16, 2016.
    Interested persons are invited to submit such comments or 
information electronically to [email protected], and/or in 
hard copy to: Chairman, Committee for theImplementation 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 the comments will be posted on 
OTEXA's Web site for Commercial Availability proceedings under the 
Morocco FTA: http://otexa.trade.gov/Morocco_CA.htm.

Joshua Teitelbaum,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 2016-08632 Filed 4-14-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P