The United States and Panama
negotiated the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement (”the
Agreement”), which was implemented into U.S. law by the United
States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (“the
Act”) [Public Law 112-43]. The Agreement entered into force on
October 31, 2012. Under the provisions of the Act, textile and
apparel goods must contain fibers, yarns, and fabrics produced in
Panama or the United States to receive duty-free tariff treatment.
The Agreement also provides for the establishment of a list of
specific fibers, yarns, and fabrics that are not available in
commercial quantities in a timely manner from producers in the
United States or Panama. Articles containing these commercially
unavailable fibers, yarns, and fabrics are entitled to duty-free or
preferential duty treatment despite containing inputs not produced
in the United States or Panama. The list of commercially
unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers may be changed pursuant to
the commercial availability provision of the Agreement and the Act.
Under Section 203(o) of the Act (“the commercial availability
provision”), interested entities from Panama or the United States
have the right to request that a specific fiber, yarn, or fabric be
added to, or removed from, the list of commercially unavailable
fibers, yarns, and fabrics. Section 203(o) of the Act requires that
the President establish procedures for parties to follow when
exercising the right to make these requests. 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 Office of Textiles and
Apparel (“OTEXA”). In accordance with the commercial availability
provision, CITA has implemented procedures to collect certain
information about the technical specifications of certain fibers,
yarns, or fabrics and the production capabilities of U.S. textile
suppliers to determine whether certain fibers, yarns, or fabrics
are available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the
United States. The intent of these procedures is to foster trade in
U.S. and Panamanian textile and apparel articles by allowing
non-originating fibers, yarns, and fabrics to be placed on or
removed from a list of items not available in commercial
quantities, in a timely manner, and in a manner that is consistent
with normal business practice. To that end, these procedures are
intended to facilitate the timely transmission of requests for
commercial availability determinations and offers to supply the
products that are the subject of the requests; have the market
indicate the availability of the supply of the subject products;
make available promptly, to interested entities and parties,
information received regarding the requests for products and offers
to supply; ensure wide participation by interested entities and
parties; provide careful scrutiny of information provided to
substantiate order requests and responses of offers to supply; 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 Panamanian 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 Panama, subject to Section 203(o) of the
Act.
PL:
Pub.L. 112 - 43 203(o) Name of Law: United States-Panama Trade
Promotion Agreement Implementation Act
PL: Pub.L. 112 - 43 203(o) Name of Law:
United States-Panama 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.