ITA Seeks Comments on Info in Requests for Colombia TPA Textile Safeguards

May 30, 2012 by Brian Feito|Commerce Dept.

The International Trade Administration is seeking comments by July 30, 2012, on a proposed information collection regarding requests for textile and apparel safeguard actions provided for by the U.S.-Columbia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA) Implementation Act.

(Article 3.1 of the CTPA Implementation Act permits the U.S. to increase duties on Colombian textile or apparel articles when such an article is being imported into the U.S. 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.)

Requests Must Contain Import Data, Domestic Production, Demonstration of Injury, Etc.

ITA said an interested party in the U.S. domestic textile and apparel industry may file a request for a textile and apparel action with the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA). If CITA determines that the request provides the information necessary for it to be considered, CITA will publish a notice in the Federal Register seeking public comments regarding the request. ITA said a requester must provide the following information for a request to be considered:

Name and description of the imported article concerned
Import data demonstrating that imports of a Colombian origin textile or apparel article that are like or directly competitive with the articles produced by the domestic industry concerned are increasing in absolute terms or relative to the domestic market for that article
U.S. domestic production of the like or directly competitive articles of U.S. origin indicating the nature and extent of the serious damage or actual threat thereof, along with an affirmation that to the best of the requester’s knowledge, the data represent substantially all of the domestic production of the like or directly competitive article(s) of U.S. origin;
Imports from Colombia as a percentage of the domestic market of the like or directly competitive article
All data available to the requestor showing changes in productivity, utilization of capacity, inventories, exports, wages, employment, profits, etc. relating to the existence of serious damage or actual threat thereof caused by imports from Colombia to the industry producing the like or directly competitive article that is the subject of the request.

After a public comment period of 30 calendar days, the ITA said CITA will make a determination on any request it considers within 60 calendar days of the close of the period, unless extended.

ITA Estimates Annual Burden of 24 Hours, Annual Cost of $960

The ITA estimates that the information collection will take six respondents (1 for request, 5 for comments) four hours each to complete, for an estimated total annual burden of 24 hours and an estimated total cost to the public of $960.

Comments Requested on Ways to Enhance Quality, Utility, Clarity, Etc.

The ITA is seeking comments on (1) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the ITA, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.