CITA Allows Certain Circular Knit Fleece Fabrics to be Sourced Outside DR-CAFTA Countries in Unrestricted Quantities
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has issued a determination that certain three-thread circular knit fleece fabrics classifiable in HTS 6001.21.0000 cannot be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner under the U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA)1.
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Subject Fabric Can be Sourced Outside DR-CAFTA in Unrestricted Quantities
As the two entities who objected to the request both withdrew their objections (see below), and because no other interested entity submitted a response objecting to the request or expressing an ability to supply these knit fleece fabrics, CITA has determined to add the fabrics to the list in Annex 3.25 of the DR-CAFTA.
(Texpasa, S.A. and Elasticos Centro Americanos y Textiles (Elcatex) both made offers to supply the subject fabrics; however, their offers were withdrawn after the petitioner asserted that neither offer was sufficient.)
CITA's designation allows these fabrics to be sourced from outside the DR-CAFTA member countries (currently the U.S., Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua) without destroying eligibility for DR-CAFTA treatment. CITA states that the subject fabrics are added to the list in Annex 3.25 in unrestricted quantities.
(According to CITA, the DR-CAFTA contains a list in Annex 3.25 for fabrics, yarns, and fibers that the DR-CAFTA Parties have determined are not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the territory of any Party. Articles that otherwise meet the rule of origin to qualify for preferential treatment are not disqualified because they contain one of the products on the Annex 3.25 list.)
1 DR-CAFTA is also abbreviated as "CAFTA-DR"
(See CITA notice for additional details, including a technical description of the knit fleece fabrics at issue, etc. See ITT's Online Archives or 10/25/07 news, 07102599, 7, for BP summary of CITA cancelling the meeting it had scheduled regarding this DR-CAFTA commercial availability request because Texpasa and Elcatex withdrew their offers to supply.)
CITA contact - Richard Stetson (202) 482-2582
CITA determination (FR Pub 11/08/07) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-21950.pdf
ITA's updated version of DR-CAFTA Annex 3.25 (more current than list in 2007 HTS (Revision 2) Chapter 98, Subchapter XXII, U.S. Note 20), available at http://web.ita.doc.gov/tacgi/CaftaReqTrack.nsf/aa4a8d4e4e834fe4852572c700477f2e/f30332701dfb867f852572c70047dfa0?OpenDocument