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.