Title II, Section 203(o) of the United
States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (the
"Act") [Public Law 112-42] implements the
commercial availability provision provided for in Article 3.3 of
the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (the
"Agreement"). The Agreement entered into force on
May 15, 2012. Subject to the rules of origin in Annex 4.1 of the
Agreement, pursuant to the textile provisions of the Agreement,
fabric, yarn, and fiber produced in Colombia or the United States
and traded between the two countries are entitled to duty-free
tariff treatment. Annex 3-B of the Agreement also lists specific
fabrics, yarns, and fibers that the two countries agreed are not
available in commercial quantities in a timely manner from
producers in Colombia or the United States. The fabrics listed are
commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers, which are also
entitled to duty-free treatment despite not being produced in
Colombia or the United States. The list of commercially unavailable
fabrics, yarns, and fibers may be changed pursuant to the
commercial availability provision in Chapter 3, Article 3.3,
Paragraphs 5-7 of the Agreement. Under this provision, interested
entities from Colombia or the United States have the right to
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. Chapter 3, Article 3.3,
paragraph 7 of the Agreement requires that the President
"promptly" publish procedures for parties to
exercise the right to make these requests. Section 203(o)(4) of the
Act authorizes the President to establish procedures to modify the
list of fabrics, yarns, or fibers not available in commercial
quantities in a timely manner in either the United States or
Colombia as set out in Annex 3-B of the Agreement. The President
delegated the responsibility for publishing the procedures and
administering commercial availability requests to the Committee for
the Implementation of Textile Agreements
("CITA"), which issues procedures and acts on
requests through the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of
Textiles and Apparel ("OTEXA") (See Proclamation
No. 8818, 77 FR 29519, May 18, 2012). The intent of the
U.S.-Colombia TPA Commercial Availability Procedures is to foster
the use of U.S. and regional products by implementing procedures
that allow products to be placed on or removed from a product list,
on a timely basis, and in a manner that is consistent with normal
business practice. The procedures are intended to facilitate the
transmission of requests; allow the market to indicate the
availability of the supply of products that are the subject of
requests; make available promptly, to interested entities and the
public, information regarding the requests for products and offers
received for those products; ensure wide participation by
interested entities and parties; allow for careful review and
consideration of information provided to substantiate requests and
responses; and provide timely public dissemination of information
used by CITA in making commercial availability determinations. CITA
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 United States or Colombia, subject to
Section 203(o) of the Act.
PL:
Pub.L. 112 - 42 203(o) Name of Law: United StatesColombia
Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act
PL: Pub.L. 112 - 42 203(o) Name of Law:
United StatesColombia Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation
Act
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.