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2015 Haiti HOPE Value-Added Apparel TPL Begins Dec 20
December 12, 2014 |Commerce Dept.

The Commerce Department set the 12-month 2015 value-added tariff preference level for certain apparel imported directly from Haiti (HTS 9820.61.25 for entry specific claims or 9820.61.30 for aggregate claims) eligible to receive duty-free treatment under the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership for Encouragement Act (HOPE) (here). For the one-year period beginning on Dec. 20, 2014 and extending through Dec. 19, 2015, the recalculated quantity of imports eligible for preferential treatment under the value-added TPL is 332,915,916 square meters equivalent (SME), an increase of about 10 million SME over 2014 levels. Apparel articles entered in excess of this TPL will be subject to otherwise applicable duty rates.

Topics:Customs duty, African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)
Commerce, Energy to Lead Trade Mission to China in 2015
December 11, 2014 |Commerce Dept.

The Commerce and Energy Departments will jointly lead an export promotion mission to China in April 2015 for companies in the energy efficiency sector, said Commerce in a notice (here). The delegation will consist of senior executives from 20-25 U.S. companies, and will include business-to-government and business-to-business meetings, market briefings, and networking events, said Commerce. Applications to participate are due Jan. 23.

Topics:Customs duty, Forced Labor
Commerce Adds Clarifying Language to BIS Export Licenses
December 9, 2014 |Commerce Dept.

The Commerce Department unveiled on Dec. 8 a new policy to inform exporters of the scope of their license authorizations issued by Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (here). The new notice, which aims to eliminate confusion related to the license scope and will appear on all valid licenses, will read as follows:

Commerce Leads Mid-East Mission to Boost Energy, Infrastructure Sales Abroad
December 2, 2014 |Commerce Dept.

The Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration is set to lead a delegation of infrastructure and energy equipment companies on a trade mission to Morocco, Egypt and Jordan from Dec. 3-11 (here). The mission aims to boost U.S. trade with the three countries, and will include meetings with government officials and potential private industry partners on tariff rates and regulatory policies. Eleven U.S. companies will join ITA on the trip. Those companies specialize in wide-ranging manufacturing, from dredging to solar energy equipment.

VF Corp. Requests Addition of Composite Fleece Fabric to CAFTA Short Supply List
November 24, 2014 |Commerce Dept.

VF Corporation filed a request on Nov. 18 with the Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles and Apparel to add a fabric to the short supply list under the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (here). The company says it cannot find in commercial quantities a composite fabric consisting of three layers, with a woven face and knit fleece backing, bonded with an air, wind and water-proof polyurethane (PU) membrane. The fabric is classifiable under HTS subheading 6001.22, it said.

Commerce Announces New Trade Promotion Missions to Colombia, Africa
November 19, 2014 |Commerce Dept.

The Commerce Department on Nov. 19 announced two new trade promotion missions to sub-Saharan Africa and Colombia. In April 2015, Commerce will lead a trade mission to Colombia for the automotive industry (here). Then, In September 2015, Commerce will take a trade mission to Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania that will include a trip to the Trade Winds sub-Saharan Africa business forum in Johannesburg (here). Commerce also announced it is extending the deadline until Nov. 21 for companies to apply for the trade mission to India for the ports and marine technology industries (here).