82 FR 51401 - 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 82, Issue 213 (November 6, 2017)

The Government of the United States received a request from the Government of Morocco on October 10, 2017, on behalf of MODALINE HOLDING 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 certain pants, skirts, and jackets to address availability of supply of certain woven fabrics 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 fabrics can be supplied by the U.S. domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 213 (Monday, November 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51401-51402]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-24089]


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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 certain pants, skirts, and jackets made from certain woven 
fabrics.

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SUMMARY: The Government of the United States received a request from 
the Government of Morocco on October 10, 2017, on behalf of MODALINE 
HOLDING 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 
certain pants, skirts, and jackets to address availability of supply of 
certain woven fabrics 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 fabrics can be supplied by the U.S. 
domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by January 5, 2018 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-Yothers, 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

[[Page 51402]]

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. 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 on October 10, 2017, on behalf of MODALINE 
HOLDING, requesting that the United States consider whether the USMFTA 
rule of origin for pants classified in HTSUS 6204.61.8010; skirts 
classified in HTSUS 6204.51.0010; and jackets classified in HTSUS 
6204.31.2010 should be modified to allow the use of 83-94% wool/4%-15% 
nylon/1%-7% spandex woven fabric classified in subheading 5112.19 and 
5112.20 of the HTSUS that is not originating under the USMFTA.
    CITA is soliciting public comments regarding this request, 
particularly with respect to whether the fabrics 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 January 5, 2018. 
Interested persons are invited to submit such comments or information 
electronically to [email protected], and/or in hard copy to: 
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation 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.

Terry Labat,
Acting Chair, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 2017-24089 Filed 11-3-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P