National Textile Association

Certain Laminated Composite Fabric Added to DR-CAFTA Short Supply List

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull, NTA) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:14:00 +0000

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements ("CITA") has determined that certain laminated composite fabric, as specified below, is not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the U.S.-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement ("CAFTA-DR") countries. The product will be added to the list in Annex 3.25 ("Short Supply") of the CAFTA-DR Agreement in unrestricted quantities.

Background

The CAFTA-DR Agreement provides a list in Annex 3.25 for fabrics, yarns, and fibers that the Parties to the CAFTA-DR Agreement have determined are not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the territory of any Party. The CAFTA-DR Agreement provides that this list may be modified pursuant to Article 3.25(4)-(5), when the President of the United States determines that a fabric, yarn, or fiber is not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the territory of any Party. See Annex 3.25 of the CAFTA-DR Agreement; see also section 203(o)(4)(C) of the CAFTA-DR Implementation Act.

The CAFTA-DR Implementation Act requires the President to establish procedures governing the submission of a request and providing opportunity for interested entities to submit comments and supporting evidence before a commercial availability determination is made. In Presidential Proclamations 7987 and 7996, the President delegated to CITA the authority under section 203(o)(4) of CAFTA-DR Implementation Act for modifying the Annex 3.25 list. Pursuant to this authority, on September 15, 2008, CITA published modified procedures it would follow in considering requests to modify the Annex 3.25 list of products determined to be not commercially available in the territory of any Party to CAFTA-DR (Modifications to Procedures for Considering Requests Under the Commercial Availability Provision of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement, 73 FR 53200) ("CITA's procedures").

On February 6, 2013, the Chairman of CITA received a request for a Commercial Availability determination ("Request") from Sorini Samet & Associates on behalf of Patagonia, Inc. for certain laminated composite fabric, as specified below. On February 7, 2013, in accordance with CITA's procedures, CITA notified interested parties of the Request, which was posted on the dedicated Web site for CAFTA-DR Commercial Availability proceedings. In its notification, CITA advised that any Response with an Offer to Supply ("Response") must be submitted by February 21, 2013, and any Rebuttal Comments to a Response must be submitted by February 27, 2013, in accordance with sections 6 and 7 of CITA's procedures. No interested entity submitted a Response to the Request advising CITA of its objection to the Request and its ability to supply the subject product.

In accordance with section 203(o)(4)(C) of the CAFTA-DR Implementation Act, and section 8(c)(2) of CITA's procedures, as no interested entity submitted a Response objecting to the Request and providing an offer to supply the subject product, CITA has determined to add the specified fabric to the list in Annex 3.25 of the CAFTA-DR Agreement.

The subject product has been added to the list in Annex 3.25 of the CAFTA-DR Agreement in unrestricted quantities. A revised list has been posted on the dedicated Web site for CAFTA-DR Commercial Availability proceedings.

SPECIFICATIONS: Laminated Composite Fabric

HTS: 6001.22.0000; 6001.92.0000

Overall Fabric Description: Laminated polyester woven/micro velour grid one-way stretch with polyurethane laminate.

Overall Fabric Construction: Woven face/polyurethane laminate/circular knit velour with grid pattern.

Overall Fiber Content: 90-96% polyester/4-10% spandex (includes both face and backer fabric).

Overall weight: 287-351 grams per square meter.

Overall width: Selvedge: 150.4-154.4 cm; Minimum cuttable: 145.3-149.3 cm.

Finishing: Bonded laminate with durable water repellency on the face fabric, and optional on back.

Performance criteria for overall fabric:
Air permeability (ASTM D737): maximum 1.5
Durable water repellency (AATCC 22): greater than or equal to 80 before wash.

Face Fabric Details:

Construction: plain weave

Fiber content: 81-87% polyester/13-19% spandex

Warp fiber content/denier: 73-77 denier polyester; 39-41 denier spandex

Filling fiber content/denier: 73-77 denier polyester; 39-41 denier spandex

Characteristics of yarns: core spun spandex (filament)

Thread count: 49-52 picks per cm x 43-45 picks per cm

Weight: 121.5-148.5 grams per square meter

Width: Selvedge: 150.4-154.4 cm; Minimum cuttable: 145.3-149.3 cm

Coloration: piece dyed

Finishing: bonded laminate with durable water repellency

Other special characteristics: 2-way stretch

Backer Fabric Details:

Construction: circular knit with a dropped stitch for the grid-brushed looped pile

Fiber content: 100% polyester

Warp fiber content/denier: 145-155 denier polyester

Filling fiber content/denier: 73-77 denier polyester

Characteristics of yarns: filament

Knitting gauge: 27-29

Weight: 140.4-171.6 grams per square meter

Width: Selvedge: 150.4-154.4 cm; Minimum cuttable: 145.3-149.3 cm

Coloration: piece dyed

Finishing: Optional bonded laminate with durable water repellency

Performance criteria:
Pilling (ASTM D3512): minimum 3

Other special characteristics: grid pattern

Laminate Description and performance: Bonded laminate with durable water repellency (air permeability maximum 1.5 per ASTM D737)

NOTE (ranges): Ranges in these specifications reflect a tolerance from the target figures of up to three percent for fiber content, yarn size, and thread count; up to ten percent for weight; and up to five centimeters (two inches) for width.

Dyeing, finishing, and knitting can alter the characteristic of the yarn as it appears in the finished fabric. These specifications therefore include yarns appearing in the finished fabric as finer or coarser than the designated yarn sizes provided that the variation occurs after processing of the greige yarn and production of the fabric. The specifications for the fabric apply to the fabric itself prior to cutting and sewing of the finished garment. Such processing may alter the measurements.

Certain Laminated Composite Fabric Added to U.S.-Colombia Short Supply List

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull, NTA) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:58:00 +0000

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements ("CITA") has determined that certain laminated composite fabric, as specified below, is not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the territory of either the United Sates or Colombia. The product will be added to the list in Annex 3-B ("Short Supply List") of the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement ("U.S.-Colombia TPA") in unrestricted quantities.

Background

The U.S.-Colombia TPA provides a list in Annex 3-B for fabrics, yarns, and fibers that the Parties to the U.S.-Colombia TPA have determined are not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the territory of any Party. The U.S.-Colombia TPA and the U.S.-Colombia TPA Implementation Act provides that this list may be modified when the President of the United States determines that a fabric, yarn, or fiber is not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the territory of any Party. See Annex 3-B of the U.S.-Colombia TPA; see also section 203(o)(4) of the U.S.-Colombia TPA Implementation Act.

The U.S.-Colombia TPA Implementation Act requires the President to establish procedures governing the submission of a request and providing opportunity for interested entities to submit comments and supporting evidence before a commercial availability determination is made. In Presidential Proclamation 8818, the President delegated to CITA the authority under section 203(o)(4) of the U.S.-Colombia TPA Implementation Act for modifying the Annex 3-B list. Pursuant to this authority, on November 6, 2012, CITA published interim procedures it would follow in considering requests to modify the Annex 3-B list of products determined to be not commercially available in the territory of either the United States or Colombia (Interim Procedures for Considering Requests Under the Commercial Availability Provision of the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, 77 FR 66588) ("CITA's procedures").

On February 11, 2013, the Chairman of CITA received a request for a Commercial Availability determination ("Request") from Sorini Samet & Associates LLC on behalf of Patagonia, Inc. for certain laminated composite fabric, as specified below. On February 12, 2013, in accordance with CITA's procedures, CITA notified interested parties of the Request, which was posted on the dedicated Web site for Commercial Availability proceedings. In its notification, CITA advised that any Response with an Offer to Supply ("Response") must be submitted by February 25, 2013, and any Rebuttal Comments to a Response must be submitted by March 1, 2013, in accordance with sections 6 and 7 of CITA's procedures. No interested entity submitted a Response to the Request advising CITA of its objection to the Request and its ability to supply the subject product.

In accordance with section 203(o)(4) of the U.S.-Colombia TPA Implementation Act, and section 8(c)(2) of CITA's procedures, as no interested entity submitted a Response objecting to the Request and providing an offer to supply the subject product, CITA has determined to add the specified fabric to the list in Annex 3-B of the U.S.-Colombia TPA.

The subject product has been added to the list in Annex 3-B of the U.S.-Colombia TPA in unrestricted quantities. A revised list has been posted on the dedicated Web site for U.S.-Colombia TPA Commercial Availability proceedings.

SPECIFICATIONS: Laminated Composite Fabric

HTS: 6001.22.0000; 6001.92.0000

Overall Fabric Description: Laminated polyester woven/micro velour grid one-way stretch with polyurethane laminate.

Overall Fabric Construction: Woven face/polyurethane laminate/circular knit velour with grid pattern.

Overall Fiber Content: 90-96% polyester/4-10% spandex (includes both face and backer fabric).

Overall weight: 287-351 grams per square meter.

Overall width: Selvedge: 150.4-154.4 cm; Minimum cuttable: 145.3-149.3 cm.

Finishing: Bonded laminate with durable water repellency on the face fabric, and optional on back.

Performance criteria for overall fabric:
Air permeability (ASTM D737): maximum 1.5
Durable water repellency (AATCC 22): greater than or equal to 80 before wash.

Face Fabric Details:
Construction: plain weave
Fiber content: 81-87% polyester/13-19% spandex
Warp fiber content/denier: 73-77 denier polyester; 39-41 denier spandex
Filling fiber content/denier: 73-77 denier polyester; 39-41 denier spandex

Characteristics of yarns: core spun spandex (filament)

Thread count: 49-52 picks per cm x 43-45 picks per cm

Weight: 121.5-148.5 grams per square meter

Width: Selvedge: 150.4-154.4 cm; Minimum cuttable: 145.3-149.3 cm

Coloration: piece dyed

Finishing: bonded laminate with durable water repellency

Other special characteristics: 2-way stretch

Backer Fabric Details:

Construction: circular knit with a dropped stitch for the grid-brushed looped pile

Fiber content: 100% polyester

Warp fiber content/denier: 145-155 denier polyester

Filling fiber content/denier: 73-77 denier polyester

Characteristics of yarns: filament

Knitting gauge: 27-29

Weight: 140.4-171.6 grams per square meter

Width: Selvedge: 150.4-154.4 cm; Minimum cuttable: 145.3-149.3 cm

Coloration: piece dyed

Finishing: Optional bonded laminate with durable water repellency

Performance criteria:
Pilling (ASTM D3512): minimum 3

Other special characteristics: grid pattern

Laminate Description and performance: Bonded laminate with durable water repellency (air permeability maximum 1.5 per ASTM D737)

TPP Negotiations Shift Into Higher Gear at 16th Round

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull, NTA) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:35:00 +0000

Singapore – At the close of the 16th Round of Trans-Pacific Partnership ("TPP") negotiations today, chief negotiators reported that they had achieved the goal set for the round: "to put the negotiations on an accelerated track toward conclusion of a next-generation, comprehensive agreement in the 2013 time frame envisioned by President Obama and the Leaders of the ten other TPP countries."

U.S. Chief Negotiator and Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Barbara Weisel reports that building on the consensus the TPP countries have already achieved on a significant number of the issues under negotiation, during this round the 11 delegations intensified their drive to find mutually-acceptable paths forward on the remaining issues in the legal texts of the agreement. As a result of active intersessional engagement, and the pragmatism and flexibility shown by all countries during this round, the delegations succeeded in finding solutions to many issues in a wide range of areas such as customs, telecommunications, investment, services, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, intellectual property, regulatory coherence, development, and other issues. With this progress, some negotiating groups, including customs, telecommunications, regulatory coherence, and development will not meet again to discuss the legal texts in future rounds and any remaining work in these areas will be taken up in late-stage rounds as the agreement is finalized. This will allow the TPP countries to concentrate their efforts on resolving the most challenging issues that remain, including related to intellectual property, competition, and environment.

The 11 countries also made progress during this round in continuing to develop the comprehensive packages that will provide market access for goods, services and investment, and government procurement. Productive exchanges occurred on tariff packages on industrial goods, agriculture, and textiles, as well as on rules of origin and how best to promote the development of regional supply chains in order to benefit companies based in the United States and the other TPP countries. In addition, negotiators discussed each country’s proposals to open services and investment and government procurement markets. The 11 countries agreed on additional intersessional work to build on market access advances made since the last round, to continue movement toward outcomes consistent with the high level of ambition that Leaders agreed to seek.

On March 6, the TPP negotiations adjourned temporarily so that negotiators could engage with the more than 300 stakeholders from TPP countries who registered to join the stakeholder events in Singapore. In response to stakeholder requests, Singapore arranged both for direct stakeholder engagement with negotiators and for 60 stakeholders to make presentations on a wide variety of issues. Also that day, Weisel and fellow Chief Negotiators briefed stakeholders and took questions on the substance and process of the TPP talks.

In mid-April, TPP Trade Ministers will meet on the margins of the APEC Trade Ministers meeting in Surabaya, Indonesia to discuss progress to date and provide further guidance to negotiators. As the negotiations draw to a close, high-level officials will be more actively engaged with one another on ways to address the remaining sensitive issues.

The 17th round of TPP negotiations will be held in Lima, Peru, from May 15-24.

March 28th Deadline for Miscellaneous Tariff Bill in House

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull, NTA) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 10:40:00 +0000

The House Committee on Ways and Means has announced that in order for Members who introduced bill(s) in the 112th Congress to have their provisions included in the current 113th Congress Miscellaneous Tariff Bill ("MTB") process, Members must submit 113th Congress Disclosure Forms to refresh their disclosure information. Members will not be required to reintroduce their bills, and no new bills will be accepted at this time. Bills whose sponsors have not returned in the 113th Congress must be adopted by another Member who completes a 113th Congress Disclosure Form for that adopted bill(s).

Sponsoring, cosponsoring, as well as adopting Members are required to submit by Thursday, March 28, 2013, at 12 noon, one 113th Congress MTB Disclosure Form for each bill they have sponsored/cosponsored/adopted for the bill to be considered in the 113th Congress MTB process. Please be advised that no bill will be considered in the 113th Congress MTB process unless this deadline is met

The 113th Congress MTB Disclosure Form is available here.

BACKGROUND

Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (Rep., Mich.), Ranking Member Sander Levin (Dem., Mich.), Trade Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (Rep., Texas), and Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Jim McDermott (Dem., Wash.) announced the commencement of the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill ("MTB") process on March 30, 2012, requiring Members to introduce bills by April 30, 2012. Due to the overwhelming Member interest in participating in the process, the Committee subsequently informed Members that they would meet the April 30 deadline if their draft bills were submitted to Legislative Counsel by 3:00 p.m. on April 30 and then introduced and submitted to the Ways and Means Committee online MTB submission process no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 16, 2012.

To ensure the highest degree of transparency, the Committee announced on May 24 that it would accept public comments on the submitted bills through June 22, 2012.

Other important parts of the MTB process have also progressed in 2012. The independent International Trade Commission ("ITC") completed its review of the submitted bills, provided reports to the Committee, and posted the reports on its own website. The reports are now also available on the Committee’s website. The Department of Commerce, which spearheads the review of the submitted bills by the Administration, completed its review of the submitted bills and provided comments to the Committee. The comments are now also available on the Committee’s website.

Click here for the table of submitted bills, public comments, ITC Congressional Bill Reports, and Administration comments received by the Committee.

On January 1, 2013, Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (Rep., Mich.), Ranking Member Sander Levin (Dem., Mich.), Trade Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (Rep., Texas), and Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Jim McDermott (Dem., Wash.) announced the introduction of the “U.S. Job Creation and Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2013” (H.R. 6727). The package included provisions from more than 2,000 bills introduced in the House and Senate during the transparent MTB process. The bill was introduced to set the stage for moving the MTB forward in the 113th Congress.

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk Announces New Opportunities for Egypt – Israel Qualifying Industrial Zone Program

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull, NTA) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:57:00 +0000

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced Sunday that he has decided to liberalize the designation of the existing Qualifying Industrial Zones ("QIZs") in Egypt to make all production facilities, present and future, located in these zones potentially eligible to export goods duty-free to the United States. Liberalizing the current designation in this manner will increase opportunities for trade, investment and production – and therefore jobs – in the existing six QIZs, which include the Greater Cairo, the Alexandria, the Suez Canal, the Central Delta, the Beni Suief and the Al Minya zones. The modification will be effective when published in the Federal Register.

In 1996, Congress authorized the President to designate areas, known as Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZs), from which Egypt or Jordan can export products to the United States duty-free, as long as these products contain inputs from Israel. The President delegated the authority to designate QIZs to the U.S. Trade Representative.

In order for a QIZ article to gain duty-free entry, QIZ factories must add at least 35 percent to the value of the article. This 35 percent minimum content figure can include value added in Israel, Egypt, or the United States. QIZs must encompass portions of Egypt and Israel, though the areas do not have to be contiguous.

Funeral and Memorial Service for Timothy J. O'Mara Set for Saturday and Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull, NTA) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:29:00 +0000

Timothy J. O'Mara, of Hickory, N.C., formerly of Haverford, Pa., passed away Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. Timothy was the devoted father, of Ryan Joseph and Lindsey Anne O'Mara; beloved son, of Joseph and Helen Martin O'Mara; and dear brother, of Meighan McGovern (Peter), Katie Mears (Bob), and the late Christopher J. O'Mara, and Ehrin O'Mara. Funeral Mass will be held Saturday, March 2, at 11 a.m. at St. John Neumann Church, 380 Highland Ln., Bryn Mawr, Pa. Relatives and friends are invited to a visitation at the Church from 9 to 10:45 a.m. Interment is at Calvary Cemetery.
A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will be conducted Sunday March 3, 2013, at 3:00 p.m. at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Hickory, N.C. (629 8th St. N.E., Hickory, N.C. 28601.) Directions:

Go North I-40 to exit 125 Hickory/Lenoir Rhyne College
Turn North on LR Blvd. SE
Continue onto 8th St. Dr. SE
Turn left onto Main Ave. NE
Take the 2nd right onto 5th Ave. Pl. NE
Continue of 7th Ave. NE –
Church will be on the right
There is parking on the side and the back of the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Aloysius Academy, 401 S. Bryn Mawr Ave., Bryn Mawr, Pa. 19010, or to Support of Hickory Lacrosse, c/o First Citizen Bank, Attn: Sophie, P.O. Box 458, Hickory, N.C. 28603. Tim was, for many years, active in the National Textile Association and will be remembered by many for his organization of the golf tournaments at the NTA Annual Meeting.

Apparel Manufacturer Seeks Woven Fabric of Lyocell for DR-CAFTA Shirt-making Operation

noreply@blogger.com (David Trumbull, NTA) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:47:00 +0000

An apparel manufacturer is seeking a supplier of three separate fabrics with construction specifications as outlined below. The fabrics will be manufactured into shirts in Central America, and therefore the fabric must comply with the rules of origin of the U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement ("DR-CAFTA"). If you are interested in supplying these fabrics please contact David Trumbull at dtrumbull@nationaltextile.org by March 15th and he will connect you with the company seeking the fabrics.

Fabric # 1

Fabric Type: Woven fabric of standard lyocell staple fiber.

Fiber Content: 100% standard lyocell staple fiber.

Yarn Size: Metric 29.6/ 1 to 93.1/ 1 (English 17.5/ 1 to 55/ 1).

Thread Count (Warp): 19.7 to 78.7 warp ends per centimeter (50 to 200 ends per inch).

Thread Count (Weft): 11.8 to 59 filling picks per centimeter (30 to 150 picks per inch).

Weave Type: Plain or twill or dobby or jacquard or oxford or satin.

Fabric Weight: 101.7 to 200 grams per square meter (3 to 5.9 ounces per square yard).

Fabric Width: 139.7 to 154.9 centimeters (55 to 61 inches), cuttable.

Coloration: Yarns of different colors or piece dyed or printed.

Finishing Processes: Enzyme washed and/or AIRO finish and/or sandwash and/or wicking finish.

Quantity: 25,600 to 28,300 meters (28,500 to 31,500 yards) per month beginning April 2013.

Fabric # 2

Fabric Type: Woven fabric of standard lyocell staple fiber and man-made staple fibers and/or linen.

Fiber Content: 55% to 85% standard lyocell staple fiber; and 15% to 45% synthetic staple fiber and/or other artificial staple fiber and/or linen.