Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA)

News Archive - 2005

08.18.05

Effective August 12, the US government's interagency Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has designated that certain 100 percent cotton, 2 x 2 twill weave, flannel fabrics, of ring spun and combed 2-ply yarns and certain 100 percent cotton carbon-emerized, three- or four-thread twill weave fabrics cannot be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner under the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA). As a result, US imports of apparel from the Caribbean Basin made from third-country subject fabric can now enter the duty-free under CBTPA. Meanwhile, CITA rejected another short supply petition, determining that certain 100 percent cotton, yarn dyed in the warp direction, plain weave double warp beam seersucker fabrics can indeed be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner.

08.08.05

The T-shirt cap, which provides duty-free access for 12 million dozen t-shirts made in Central America and the Dominican Republic with US Yarns, filled in late June. The cap will not reopen until October 1, effectively penalizing US exporters of yarns as well as US T-shirt companies in the region. Although such caps exist in the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA), there is no limit on the use of US inputs in the CAFTA-DR. A provision was included in the CAFTA-DR, at the request of AAFA, which will provide relief for companies who still use yarns during this embargo period, provided the CAFTA-DR is approved and the CAFTA-DR partner country permits retroactivity to January 1, 2004.

03.16.05

CITA announced March 7 that it had rejected a short supply petition regarding certain anti-microbial elastomeric filament yarn finding that the subject yarn can be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner under the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Andean Trade Promotion & Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA). In a related note, CITA and the US International Trade Commission (ITC) request comments on three new CBTPA short supply petitions alleging that certain 100 percent cotton, double faced irregular sateen weave, flannel fabrics, of yarn-dyed, single yarns, certain 100 percent cotton, 4-thread twill weave and herringbone twill weave, flannel fabrics, of yarn-dyed, ring spun and plied yarns, and certain 100 percent cotton, 4-thread twill weave, flannel fabrics, of yarn-dyed, combed and ring spun single yarns, cannot be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner under CBTPA. If any of the petitions are approved, apparel made in the Caribbean Basin region using any of the approved third-country subject fabric can enter the duty-free under CBTPA. Comments are due to CITA by March 30 and to the ITC by March 28.

02.08.05

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) announced January 28 that it has determined that certain woven, 100 percent cotton, double-napped, flannel fabric, of the specification detailed below, classified in subheading 5209.31.6050 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), for use in products covered by textile categories 340, 341, 347, 348, 350, 351, and woven underwear in category 352, cannot be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner under the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA). CITA hereby designates such apparel articles, which are both cut and sewn or otherwise assembled in an eligible CBTPA beneficiary country, from this fabric as eligible to enter the duty-free.

02.01.05

CITA and the US International Trade Commission (ITC) request comments on a January 14 petition from Outlast Technology, Inc. and Bernette Textile Co, LLC alleging that certain colored open end spun yarns ranging in size from 6/1 to 18/1 English count (10.16/1 to 30.47/1 metric) of a blend of reclaimed and reprocessed cotton and not less than 35 percent nor more than 49 percent by weight of Outlast licensed phase change acrylic staple fibers produced under license from Outlast, for use in chief weight cotton sweaters, cannot be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner under the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA). If approved, apparel made using certain colored open end spun yarn (as described above) in Central America and the Caribbean can enter the United States duty-free under CBTPA. Comments are due to the ITC February 8 and to CITA February 9.

01.19.05

CITA and the US International Trade Commission (ITC) request comments on a January 3 petition from Ge-Ray Fabrics, Inc. alleging that certain anti-microbial elastomeric filament yarn cannot be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner under the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA), the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Andean Trade Promotion & Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA). If CITA approves the petition, apparel made from knit fabric incorporating certain third-country anti-microbial elastomeric yarn in the Caribbean Basin, sub-Saharan Africa or the Andean region can enter the United States duty-free under CBTPA, AGOA and ATPDEA. Comments are due to CITA and the ITC on January 25.