Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA)
News Archive - 2003
10.07.03
AAFA marked the three-year anniversaries of the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the eleven-month anniversary of the Andean Trade Promotion & Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) by highlighting the fact all three trade preference programs still lack final Customs regulations. In an October 1 letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, AAFA applauded passage of the three trade preference programs, noting that "These programs have not only benefited AAFA's members, but have greatly assisted in the economic development of the beneficiary countries." The letter states that the interim regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (Customs) did not clearly address or left vague many specific issues that will hopefully be clarified in the final Customs regulations. Furthermore, without final regulations, U.S. apparel and footwear firms lack the regulatory certainty they need to fully take advantage of the benefits of each program. With three years already passed since implementation of two of these programs, AAFA asked that Customs issue final regulations for each program as soon as possible.
10.07.03
Effective September 30, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (Customs) issued revised interim regulations modifying the brassieres provision of the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA). According to Customs, the revised interim regulations contain the changes made to the brassieres provision in the Trade Act of 2002. The specific changes to the regulations include removing the reference to requiring brassieres to be produced and entered in the same year, changing the valuation description to refer to "fabrics" instead of "fabric components," changing the valuation requirement to 75 percent, as well as other changes required by the Trade Act of 2002. Comments on the revised interim regulations for the brassieres provision are due December 1.
05.27.03
03.21.03
The U.S. Customs Service issued new interim regulations on March 21 governing the import of apparel and textile products under the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The interim regulations incorporate the changes made to the apparel/textile sections of the CBTPA and AGOA programs under the Trade Act of 2002 passed last August by Congress. Those changes include requiring that the dyeing, printing and finishing of certain fabrics must be done in the United States in order for garments assembled in CBTPA countries to qualify for duty-free entry to the United States. The interim regulations also clarify that garments assembled in CBTPA countries that also undergo post-assembly finishing operations in CBTPA countries will still qualify for duty-free entry to the United States. The interim regulations are effective as of March 21. Written comments on the interim regulations are due May 20.
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