ITA Asks for Comments on Textile Commercial Availability Requests for U.S.-Colombia TPA
The International Trade Administration is asking for comments on a proposed information collection for determinations of commercial availability of fabrics, yarns, and fibers for the purposes of rules of origin determinations under the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement. Comments are due by Aug.14.
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(Trade Preference Programs and Free Trade Agreements allow textile and apparel goods duty-free entry into the U.S. if the goods meet the rule of origin. The textile and apparel rule of origin for these programs and agreements is commonly known as the "yarn-forward" standard, which requires that the yarn production and all operations "forward" (i.e., fabric production through apparel assembly) occur in either the U.S. and/or the partner country. However, fibers, yarns, and fabrics determined not to be available in commercial quantities in a timely manner may be sourced from outside the countries for use in qualifying textile and apparel products. For example, a fabric that is determined not to be commercially available may come from a third party, be cut-and-assembled into a garment in Colombia, and imported to the U.S. duty-free.)
Interested Parties May Request Addition to or Removal from Commercially Available List
Interested entities from Colombia or the U.S. may request that a specific fabric, yarn, or fiber be added to, or removed from, the list of commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers in Annex 3-B of the Agreement. To this end, the ITA said it must collect certain information about fabric, yarn, or fiber technical specifications and the production capabilities of Colombian and U.S. textile producers to determine whether certain fabrics, yarns, or fibers are available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the U.S. or Colombia, subject to Section 203(o) of the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act.
ITA Estimates 16 Respondents, 87 Total Burden Hours
The ITA estimated that the proposed information collection would be completed by 16 respondents, and take 8 hours per request, 2 hours per response, and 1 hour per rebuttal, for a total of 89 burden hours and a total cost to the public of $5,340.
Comments Requested on Ways to Enhance Quality, Utility, Clarity, Minimize Burden, Etc.
The ITA is specifically asking for comments on: (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.