Citation: [Federal Register Volume 81, Number 73 (Friday, April 15, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22236-22237]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-08632


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
OTEXA_MoroccoFTA@trade.gov, 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