Article 3.24 of the United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement ("U.S.-Panama TPA" or the "Agreement") provides for a textile safeguard mechanism. This safeguard mechanism applies when, as a result of the elimination of a customs duty under the Agreement, a Panamanian textile or apparel article is being imported into the United States in such increased quantities, in absolute terms or relative to the domestic market for that article, and under such conditions as to cause serious damage or actual threat thereof to a U.S. industry producing a like or directly competitive article. Under these circumstances, Article 3.24 permits the United States to increase duties on the imported article from Panama to a level that does not exceed the lesser of the prevailing U.S. normal trade relations (NTR)/most-favored-nation (MFN) duty rate for the article or the U.S. NTR/MFN duty rate in effect on the day the Agreement entered into force.
The Statement of Administrative Action accompanying the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (the "Act") [Public Law 112-43] provides that CITA will issue procedures for requesting such safeguard measures, for making its determinations under section 322(a) of the Act, and for providing relief under section 322(b) of the Act.
In Proclamation No. 8894 (77 FR 66507, November 5, 2012), the President delegated to CITA his authority under Subtitle B of Title III of the Act with respect to textile and apparel safeguard measures.
The textile safeguard provision will be of considerable benefit to firms manufacturing textile and apparel goods in the United States in the event that an industry finds itself to be adversely impacted by duty-free imports of textiles and apparel from Panama.
CITA has prepared, and transmitted to OMB for approval, interim procedures to implement these responsibilities.
CITA must collect information in order to determine whether a domestic textile or apparel industry is being adversely impacted by imports of these products from Panama, thereby allowing CITA to take corrective action to protect the viability of the domestic textile industry, subject to section 322(b) of the Act.
PL:
Pub.L. 112 - 43 321-328
Name of Law: United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act
PL: Pub.L. 112 - 43 321-328 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.
0625.US.PanamaTPA.Safeguard Procedures.SuppStmt.031113.doc
Requirements to Submit Comments on a Pending Textile and Apparel Safeguard Action