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Apparel articles. “Apparel articles” means goods classifiable in Chapters 61 and 62 and headings 6501, 6502, 6503, and 6504 and subheadings 6406.99.15 and 6505.90 of the HTSUS.
Assembled or sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries. “Assembled” and “sewn or otherwise assembled” when used in the context of production of an apparel or other textile article in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries has reference to a joining together of two or more components that occurred in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, whether or not a prior joining operation was performed on the article or any of its components in the United States.
ATPA. “ATPA” means the Andean Trade Preference Act, 19 U.S.C. 3201–3206.
ATPDEA beneficiary country. “ATPDEA beneficiary country” means a “beneficiary country” as defined in §10.202(a) for purposes of the ATPA which the President also has designated as a beneficiary country for purposes of preferential treatment of apparel and other textile articles under 19 U.S.C. 3203(b)(3) and which has been the subject of a determination by the President or his designee, published in the Federal Register, that the beneficiary country has satisfied the requirements of 19 U.S.C. 3203(b)(5)(A)(ii).
Chief value. “Chief value” when used with reference to llama, alpaca, and vicuña means that the value of those materials exceeds the value of any other single textile material in the fabric or component under consideration, with the value in each case determined by application of the principles set forth in §10.243(c)(1)(ii).
Cut in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries. “Cut” when used in the context of production of textile luggage in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries means that all fabric components used in the assembly of the article were cut from fabric in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, or were cut from fabric in the United States and used in a partial assembly operation in the United States prior to cutting of fabric and assembly of the article in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, or both.
Foreign. “Foreign” means of a country other than the United States or an ATPDEA beneficiary country.
HTSUS. “HTSUS” means the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
Knit-to-shape components. “Knit-to-shape,” when used with reference to textile components, means components that are knitted or crocheted from a yarn directly to a specific shape containing a self-start edge. Minor cutting or trimming will not affect the determination of whether a component is “knit-to-shape.”
Luggage. “Luggage” means travel goods (such as trunks, hand trunks, lockers, valises, satchels, suitcases, wardrobe cases, overnight bags, pullman bags, gladstone bags, traveling bags, knapsacks, kitbags, haversacks, duffle bags, and like articles designed to contain clothing or other personal effects during travel) and brief cases, portfolios, school bags, photographic equipment bags, golf bags, camera cases, binocular cases, gun cases, occupational luggage cases (for example, physicians' cases, sample cases), and like containers and cases designed to be carried with the person. The term “luggage” does not include handbags (that is, pocketbooks, purses, shoulder bags, clutch bags, and all similar articles, by whatever name known, customarily carried by women or girls). The term “luggage” also does not include flat goods (that is, small flatware designed to be carried on the person, such as banknote cases, bill cases, billfolds, bill purses, bill rolls, card cases, change cases, cigarette cases, coin purses, coin holders, compacts, currency cases, key cases, letter cases, license cases, money cases, pass cases, passport cases, powder cases, spectacle cases, stamp cases, vanity cases, tobacco pouches, and similar articles).
NAFTA. “NAFTA” means the North American Free Trade Agreement entered into by the United States, Canada, and Mexico on December 17, 1992.
Preferential treatment. “Preferential treatment” means entry, or withdrawal from warehouse for consumption, in the customs territory of the United States free of duty and free of any quantitative restrictions, limitations, or consultation levels as provided in 19 U.S.C. 3203(b)(3).
Wholly formed fabric components. “Wholly formed,” when used with reference to fabric components, means that all of the production processes, starting with the production of wholly formed fabric and ending with a component that is ready for incorporation into an apparel article, took place in a single country.
Wholly formed fabrics. “Wholly formed,” when used with reference to fabric(s), means that all of the production processes, starting with polymers, fibers, filaments, textile strips, yarns, twine, cordage, rope, or strips of fabric and ending with a fabric by a weaving, knitting, needling, tufting, felting, entangling or other process, took place in a single country.
Wholly formed yarns. “Wholly formed,” when used with reference to yarns, means that all of the production processes, starting with the extrusion of filament, strip, film, or sheet and including drawing to fully orient a filament or slitting a film or sheet into strip, or the spinning of all fibers into yarn, or both, and ending with a yarn or plied yarn, took place in the United States or in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries.
§ 10.243 Articles eligible for preferential treatment.
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(a) General. Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, preferential treatment applies to the following apparel and other textile articles that are imported directly into the customs territory of the United States from an ATPDEA beneficiary country:
(1) Apparel articles sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, or in the United States, or in both, exclusively from any one of the following:
(i) Fabrics or fabric components wholly formed, or components knit-to-shape, in the United States, from yarns wholly formed in the United States or in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries (including fabrics not formed from yarns, if those fabrics are classifiable under heading 5602 or 5603 of the HTSUS and are formed in the United States), provided that, if the apparel article is assembled from knitted or crocheted or woven wholly formed fabrics or from knitted or crocheted or woven wholly formed fabric components produced from fabric, all dyeing, printing, and finishing of that knitted or crocheted or woven fabric or component was carried out in the United States;
(ii) Fabrics or fabric components formed, or components knit-to-shape, in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries from yarns wholly formed in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, if those fabrics (including fabrics not formed from yarns, if those fabrics are classifiable under heading 5602 or 5603 of the HTSUS and are formed in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries) or components are in chief value of llama, alpaca, and/or vicuña;
(iii) Fabrics or yarns, provided that apparel articles (except articles classifiable under subheading 6212.10 of the HTSUS) of those fabrics or yarns would be considered an originating good under General Note 12(t), HTSUS, if the apparel articles had been imported directly from Canada or Mexico; or
(iv) Fabrics or yarns that the President or his designee has designated in the Federal Register as fabrics or yarns that cannot be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner;
(2) Apparel articles sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, or in the United States, or in both, exclusively from a combination of fabrics, fabric components, knit-to-shape components or yarns described in two or more of paragraphs (a)(1)(i) through (a)(1)(iv) of this section;
(3) A handloomed, handmade, or folklore apparel or other textile article of an ATPDEA beneficiary country that the President or his designee and representatives of the ATPDEA beneficiary country mutually agree is a handloomed, handmade, or folklore article and that is certified as a handloomed, handmade, or folklore article by the competent authority of the ATPDEA beneficiary country;
(4) Brassieres classifiable under subheading 6212.10 of the HTSUS, if both cut and sewn or otherwise assembled in the United States, or in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, or in both, other than articles entered as articles described in paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) and (a)(7) of this section, and provided that any applicable additional requirements set forth in §10.248 are met;
(5) Textile luggage assembled in an ATPDEA beneficiary country from fabric wholly formed and cut in the United States, from yarns wholly formed in the United States, that is entered under subheading 9802.00.80 of the HTSUS;
(6) Textile luggage assembled in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries from fabric cut in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries from fabric wholly formed in the United States from yarns wholly formed in the United States; and
(7) Apparel articles sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries from fabrics or from fabric components formed, or from components knit-to-shape, in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries from yarns wholly formed in the United States or in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries (including fabrics not formed from yarns, if those fabrics are classifiable under heading 5602 or 5603 of the HTSUS and are formed in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries), including apparel articles sewn or otherwise assembled in part but not exclusively from any of the fabrics, fabric components formed, or components knit-to-shape described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section.
(b) Dyeing, printing, finishing and other operations—(1) Dyeing, printing and finishing operations. Dyeing, printing, and finishing operations may be performed on any yarn, fabric, or knit-to-shape or other component used in the production of any article described under paragraph (a) of this section without affecting the eligibility of the article for preferential treatment, provided that the operation is performed in the United States or in an ATPDEA beneficiary country and not in any other country and subject to the following additional conditions:
(i) In the case of an article described in paragraph (a)(1), (a)(2), or (a)(7) of this section that contains a knitted or crocheted or woven fabric, or a knitted or crocheted or woven fabric component produced from fabric, that was wholly formed in the United States from yarns wholly formed in the United States, any dyeing, printing, or finishing of that knitted or crocheted or woven fabric or component must have been carried out in the United States; and
(ii) In the case of assembled luggage described in paragraph (a)(5) of this section, an operation may be performed in an ATPDEA beneficiary country only if that operation is incidental to the assembly process within the meaning of §10.16.
(2) Other operations. An article described under paragraph (a) of this section that is otherwise eligible for preferential treatment will not be disqualified from receiving that treatment by virtue of having undergone one or more operations such as embroidering, stone-washing, enzyme-washing, acid washing, perma-pressing, oven-baking, bleaching, garment-dyeing or screen printing, provided that the operation is performed in the United States or in an ATPDEA beneficiary country and not in any other country. However, in the case of assembled luggage described in paragraph (a)(5) of this section, an operation may be performed in an ATPDEA beneficiary country without affecting the eligibility of the article for preferential treatment only if it is incidental to the assembly process within the meaning of §10.16.
(c) Special rules for certain component materials—(1) Foreign findings, trimmings, interlinings, and yarns—(i) General. An article otherwise described under paragraph (a) of this section will not be ineligible for the preferential treatment referred to in §10.241 because the article contains:
(A) Findings and trimmings of foreign origin, if the value of those findings and trimmings does not exceed 25 percent of the cost of the components of the assembled article. For purposes of this section “findings and trimmings” include, but are not limited to, sewing thread, hooks and eyes, snaps, buttons, “bow buds,” decorative lace trim, elastic strips, zippers (including zipper tapes), and labels;
(B) Interlinings of foreign origin, if the value of those interlinings does not exceed 25 percent of the cost of the components of the assembled article. For purposes of this section “interlinings” include only a chest type plate, a “hymo” piece, or “sleeve header,” of woven or weft-inserted warp knit construction and of coarse animal hair or man-made filaments;
(C) Any combination of findings and trimmings of foreign origin and interlinings of foreign origin, if the total value of those findings and trimmings and interlinings does not exceed 25 percent of the cost of the components of the assembled article; or
(D) Yarns not wholly formed in the United States or in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries if the total weight of all those yarns is not more than 7 percent of the total weight of the article.
(ii) “Cost” and “value” defined. The “cost” of components and the “value” of findings and trimmings or interlinings referred to in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section means:
(A) The price of the components, findings and trimmings, or interlinings when last purchased, f.o.b. port of exportation, as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, or, if the price is other than f.o.b. port of exportation:
(1) The price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents adjusted to arrive at an f.o.b. port of exportation price; or
(2) If no exportation to an ATPDEA beneficiary country is involved, the price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, less the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs incurred in transporting the components, findings and trimmings, or interlinings to the place of production if included in that price; or
(B) If the price cannot be determined under paragraph (c)(1)(ii)(A) of this section or if Customs finds that price to be unreasonable, all reasonable expenses incurred in the growth, production, manufacture, or other processing of the components, findings and trimmings, or interlinings, including the cost or value of materials and general expenses, plus a reasonable amount for profit, and the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs, if any, incurred in transporting the components, findings and trimmings, or interlinings to the port of exportation.
(iii) Treatment of yarns as findings or trimmings. If any yarns not wholly formed in the United States or one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries are used in an article as a finding or trimming described in paragraph (c)(1)(i)(A) of this section, the yarns will be considered to be a finding or trimming for purposes of paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section.
(2) Special rule for nylon filament yarn. An article otherwise described under paragraph (a)(1)(i) through (iii), (a)(2), or (a)(7) of this section will not be ineligible for the preferential treatment referred to in §10.241 because the article contains nylon filament yarn (other than elastomeric yarn) that is classifiable in subheading 5402.10.30, 5402.10.60, 5402.31.30, 5402.31.60, 5402.32.30, 5402.32.60, 5402.41.10, 5402.41.90, 5402.51.00, or 5402.61.00 of the HTSUS and that is entered free of duty from Canada, Mexico, or Israel.
(d) Imported directly defined. For purposes of paragraph (a) of this section, the words “imported directly” mean:
(1) Direct shipment from any ATPDEA beneficiary country to the United States without passing through the territory of any country that is not an ATPDEA beneficiary country;
(2) If the shipment is from any ATPDEA beneficiary country to the United States through the territory of any country that is not an ATPDEA beneficiary country, the articles in the shipment do not enter into the commerce of any country that is not an ATPDEA beneficiary country while en route to the United States and the invoices, bills of lading, and other shipping documents show the United States as the final destination; or
(3) If the shipment is from any ATPDEA beneficiary country to the United States through the territory of any country that is not an ATPDEA beneficiary country, and the invoices and other documents do not show the United States as the final destination, the articles in the shipment upon arrival in the United States are imported directly only if they:
(i) Remained under the control of the customs authority of the intermediate country;
(ii) Did not enter into the commerce of the intermediate country except for the purpose of sale other than at retail, and the port director is satisfied that the importation results from the original commercial transaction between the importer and the producer or the producer's sales agent; and
(iii) Were not subjected to operations other than loading or unloading, and other activities necessary to preserve the articles in good condition.
§ 10.244 Certificate of Origin.
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(a) General. A Certificate of Origin must be employed to certify that an apparel or other textile article being exported from an ATPDEA beneficiary country to the United States qualifies for the preferential treatment referred to in §10.241. The Certificate of Origin must be prepared by the exporter in the ATPDEA beneficiary country in the format specified in paragraph (b) of this section. Where the ATPDEA beneficiary country exporter is not the producer of the article, that exporter may complete and sign a Certificate of Origin on the basis of:
(1) Its reasonable reliance on the producer's written representation that the article qualifies for preferential treatment; or
(2) A completed and signed Certificate of Origin for the article voluntarily provided to the exporter by the producer.
(b) Form of Certificate. The Certificate of Origin referred to in paragraph (a) of this section must be in the following format:
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(c) Preparation of Certificate. The following rules will apply for purposes of completing the Certificate of Origin set forth in paragraph (b) of this section:
(1) Blocks 1 through 5 pertain only to the final article exported to the United States for which preferential treatment may be claimed;
(2) Block 1 should state the legal name and address (including country) of the exporter;
(3) Block 2 should state the legal name and address (including country) of the producer. If there is more than one producer, attach a list stating the legal name and address (including country) of all additional producers. If this information is confidential, it is acceptable to state “available to Customs upon request” in block 2. If the producer and the exporter are the same, state “same” in block 2;
(4) Block 3 should state the legal name and address (including country) of the importer;
(5) Block 4 should provide a full description of each article. The description should be sufficient to relate it to the invoice description and to the description of the article in the international Harmonized System. Include the invoice number as shown on the commercial invoice or, if the invoice number is not known, include another unique reference number such as the shipping order number;
(6) In block 5, insert the letter that designates the preference group which applies to the article according to the description contained in the CFR provision cited on the Certificate for that group;
(7) Blocks 6 through 9 must be completed only when the block in question calls for information that is relevant to the preference group identified in block 5;
(8) Block 6 should state the legal name and address (including country) of the fabric producer;
(9) Block 7 should state the legal name and address (including country) of the yarn producer;
(10) Block 8 should state the name of the folklore article or should state that the article is handloomed or handmade of handloomed fabric;
(11) Block 9 should be completed if the article described in block 4 incorporates a fabric or yarn described in preference group C or D and should state the name of the fabric or yarn that has been considered as being in short supply in the NAFTA or that has been designated as not available in commercial quantities in the United States. Block 9 also should be completed if preference group E or I applies to the article described in block 4 and the article incorporates a fabric or yarn described in preference group C or D;
(12) Block 10 must contain the signature of the exporter or of the exporter's authorized agent having knowledge of the relevant facts;
(13) Block 14 should reflect the date on which the Certificate was completed and signed;
(14) Block 15 should be completed if the Certificate is intended to cover multiple shipments of identical articles as described in block 4 that are imported into the United States during a specified period of up to one year (see §10.246(b)(4)(ii)). The “from” date is the date on which the Certificate became applicable to the article covered by the blanket Certificate (this date may be prior to the date reflected in block 14). The “to” date is the date on which the blanket period expires; and
(15) The Certificate may be printed and reproduced locally. If more space is needed to complete the Certificate, attach a continuation sheet.
§ 10.245 Filing of claim for preferential treatment.
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(a) Declaration. In connection with a claim for preferential treatment for an apparel or other textile article described in §10.243, the importer must make a written declaration that the article qualifies for that treatment. The inclusion on the entry summary, or equivalent documentation, of the subheading within Chapter 98 of the HTSUS under which the article is classified will constitute the written declaration. Except in any of the circumstances described in §10.246(d)(1), the declaration required under this paragraph must be based on a Certificate of Origin that has been completed and properly executed in accordance with §10.244, that covers the article being imported, and that is in the possession of the importer.
(b) Corrected declaration. If, after making the declaration required under paragraph (a) of this section, the importer has reason to believe that a Certificate of Origin on which a declaration was based contains information that is not correct, the importer must within 30 calendar days after the date of discovery of the error make a corrected declaration and pay any duties that may be due. A corrected declaration will be effected by submission of a letter or other written statement to the Customs port where the declaration was originally filed.
§ 10.246 Maintenance of records and submission of Certificate by importer.
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(a) Maintenance of records. Each importer claiming preferential treatment for an article under §10.245 must maintain in the United States, in accordance with the provisions of part 163 of this chapter, all records relating to the importation of the article. Those records must include a copy of the Certificate of Origin referred to in §10.245(a) and any other relevant documents or other records as specified in §163.1(a) of this chapter.
(b) Submission of Certificate. An importer who claims preferential treatment on an apparel or other textile article under §10.245(a) must provide, at the request of the port director, a copy of the Certificate of Origin pertaining to the article. A Certificate of Origin submitted to Customs under this paragraph:
(1) Must be in writing or must be transmitted electronically through any electronic data interchange system authorized by Customs for that purpose;
(2) If in writing, must be signed by the exporter or by the exporter's authorized agent having knowledge of the relevant facts;
(3) Must be completed either in the English language or in the language of the country from which the article is exported. If the Certificate is completed in a language other than English, the importer must provide to Customs upon request a written English translation of the Certificate; and
(4) May be applicable to:
(i) A single importation of an article into the United States, including a single shipment that results in the filing of one or more entries and a series of shipments that results in the filing of one entry; or
(ii) Multiple importations of identical articles into the United States that occur within a specified blanket period, not to exceed 12 months, set out in the Certificate by the exporter. For purposes of this paragraph and §10.244(c)(14), “identical articles” means articles that are the same in all material respects, including physical characteristics, quality, and reputation.
(c) Correction and nonacceptance of Certificate. If the port director determines that a Certificate of Origin is illegible or defective or has not been completed in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section, the importer will be given a period of not less than five working days to submit a corrected Certificate. A Certificate will not be accepted in connection with subsequent importations during a period referred to in paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of this section if the port director determined that a previously imported identical article covered by the Certificate did not qualify for preferential treatment.
(d) Certificate not required—(1) General. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, an importer is not required to have a Certificate of Origin in his possession for:
(i) An importation of an article for which the port director has in writing waived the requirement for a Certificate of Origin because the port director is otherwise satisfied that the article qualifies for preferential treatment;
(ii) A non-commercial importation of an article; or
(iii) A commercial importation of an article whose value does not exceed US$2,500, provided that, unless waived by the port director, the producer, exporter, importer or authorized agent includes on, or attaches to, the invoice or other document accompanying the shipment the following signed statement:
I hereby certify that the article covered by this shipment qualifies for preferential treatment under the ATPDEA.
Check One:
( ) Producer
( ) Exporter
( ) Importer
( ) Agent
_________________
Name
_________________
Title
_________________
Address
_________________
Signature and Date
(2) Exception. If the port director determines that an importation described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section forms part of a series of importations that may reasonably be considered to have been undertaken or arranged for the purpose of avoiding a Certificate of Origin requirement under §§10.244 through 10.246, the port director will notify the importer in writing that for that importation the importer must have in his possession a valid Certificate of Origin to support the claim for preferential treatment. The importer will have 30 calendar days from the date of the written notice to obtain a valid Certificate of Origin, and a failure to timely obtain the Certificate of Origin will result in denial of the claim for preferential treatment. For purposes of this paragraph, a “series of importations” means two or more entries covering articles arriving on the same day from the same exporter and consigned to the same person.
§ 10.247 Verification and justification of claim for preferential treatment.
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(a) Verification by Customs. A claim for preferential treatment made under §10.245, including any statements or other information contained on a Certificate of Origin submitted to Customs under §10.246, will be subject to whatever verification the port director deems necessary. In the event that the port director for any reason is prevented from verifying the claim, the port director may deny the claim for preferential treatment. A verification of a claim for preferential treatment may involve, but need not be limited to, a review of:
(1) All records required to be made, kept, and made available to Customs by the importer or any other person under part 163 of this chapter;
(2) Documentation and other information regarding the country of origin of an article and its constituent materials, including, but not limited to, production records, information relating to the place of production, the number and identification of the types of machinery used in production, and the number of workers employed in production; and
(3) Evidence to document the use of U.S. or ATPDEA beneficiary country materials in the production of the article in question, such as purchase orders, invoices, bills of lading and other shipping documents, and customs import and clearance documents.
(b) Importer requirements. In order to make a claim for preferential treatment under §10.245, the importer:
(1) Must have records that explain how the importer came to the conclusion that the apparel or other textile article qualifies for preferential treatment. Those records must include documents that support a claim that the article in question qualifies for preferential treatment because it is specifically described in one of the provisions under §10.243(a). If the importer is claiming that the article incorporates fabric or yarn that was wholly formed in the United States or in an ATPDEA beneficiary country, the importer must have records that identify the producer of the fabric or yarn. A properly completed Certificate of Origin in the form set forth in §10.244(b) is a record that would serve these purposes;
(2) Must establish and implement internal controls which provide for the periodic review of the accuracy of the Certificates of Origin or other records referred to in paragraph (b)(1) of this section;
(3) Must have shipping papers that show how the article moved from the ATPDEA beneficiary country to the United States. If the imported article was shipped through a country other than an ATPDEA beneficiary country and the invoices and other documents from the ATPDEA beneficiary country do not show the United States as the final destination, the importer also must have documentation that demonstrates that the conditions set forth in §10.243(d)(3)(i) through (iii) were met; and
(4) Must be prepared to explain, upon request from Customs, how the records and internal controls referred to in paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(3) of this section justify the importer's claim for preferential treatment.
§ 10.248 Additional requirements for preferential treatment of brassieres.
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(a) Definitions. When used in this section, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(1) Producer. “Producer” means an individual, corporation, partnership, association, or other entity or group that exercises direct, daily operational control over the production process in an ATPDEA beneficiary country.
(2) Entity controlling production. “Entity controlling production” means an individual, corporation, partnership, association, or other entity or group that is not a producer and that controls the production process in an ATPDEA beneficiary country through a contractual relationship or other indirect means.
(3) Fabrics formed in the United States. “Fabrics formed in the United States” means fabrics that were produced by a weaving, knitting, needling, tufting, felting, entangling or other fabric-making process performed in the United States.
(4) Cost. “Cost” when used with reference to fabrics formed in the United States means:
(i) The price of the fabrics when last purchased, f.o.b. port of exportation, as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, or, if the price is other than f.o.b. port of exportation:
(A) The price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents adjusted to arrive at an f.o.b. port of exportation price; or
(B) If no exportation to an ATPDEA beneficiary country is involved, the price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, less the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs incurred in transporting the fabrics to the place of production if included in that price; or
(ii) If the price cannot be determined under paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section or if Customs finds that price to be unreasonable, all reasonable expenses incurred in the growth, production, manufacture, or other processing of the fabrics, including the cost or value of materials (which includes the cost of non-recoverable scrap generated in forming the fabrics) and general expenses, plus a reasonable amount for profit, and the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs, if any, incurred in transporting the fabrics to the port of exportation.
(5) Declared customs value. “Declared customs value” when used with reference to fabric contained in an article means the sum of:
(i) The cost of fabrics formed in the United States that the producer or entity controlling production can verify; and
(ii) The cost of all other fabric contained in the article, exclusive of all findings and trimmings, determined as follows:
(A) In the case of fabric purchased by the producer or entity controlling production, the f.o.b. port of exportation price of the fabric as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, or, if the price is other than f.o.b. port of exportation:
(1) The price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents adjusted to arrive at an f.o.b. port of exportation price, plus expenses for embroidering and dyeing, printing, and finishing operations applied to the fabric if not included in that price; or
(2) If no exportation to an ATPDEA beneficiary country is involved, the price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, plus expenses for embroidering and dyeing, printing, and finishing operations applied to the fabric if not included in that price, but less the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs incurred in transporting the fabric to the place of production if included in that price;
(B) In the case of fabric for which the cost cannot be determined under paragraph (a)(5)(ii)(A) of this section or if Customs finds that cost to be unreasonable, all reasonable expenses incurred in the growth, production, or manufacture of the fabric, including the cost or value of materials (which includes the cost of non-recoverable scrap generated in the growth, production, or manufacture of the fabric), general expenses and embroidering and dyeing, printing, and finishing expenses, plus a reasonable amount for profit, and the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs, if any, incurred in transporting the fabric to the port of exportation;
(C) In the case of fabric components purchased by the producer or entity controlling production, the f.o.b. port of exportation price of those fabric components as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, less the cost or value of any non-textile materials, and less expenses for cutting or other processing to create the fabric components other than knitting to shape, that the producer or entity controlling production can verify, or, if the price is other than f.o.b. port of exportation:
(1) The price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents adjusted to arrive at an f.o.b. port of exportation price, less the cost or value of any non-textile materials, and less expenses for cutting or other processing to create the fabric components other than knitting to shape, that the producer or entity controlling production can verify; or
(2) If no exportation to an ATPDEA beneficiary country is involved, the price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, less the cost or value of any non-textile materials, and less expenses for cutting or other processing to create the fabric components other than knitting to shape, that the producer or entity controlling production can verify, and less the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs incurred in transporting the fabric components to the place of production if included in that price; and
(D) In the case of fabric components for which a fabric cost cannot be determined under paragraph (a)(5)(ii)(C) of this section or if Customs finds that cost to be unreasonable: all reasonable expenses incurred in the growth, production, or manufacture of the fabric components, including the cost or value of materials (which does not include the cost of recoverable scrap generated in the growth, production, or manufacture of the fabric components) and general expenses, but excluding the cost or value of any non-textile materials, and excluding expenses for cutting or other processing to create the fabric components other than knitting to shape, that the producer or entity controlling production can verify, plus a reasonable amount for profit, and the freight, insurance, packing, and other costs, if any, incurred in transporting the fabric components to the port of exportation.
(6) Year. “Year” means a 12-month period beginning on October 1 and ending on September 30 but does not include any 12-month period that began prior to October 1, 2002.
(7) Entered. “Entered” means entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, in the customs territory of the United States.
(b) Limitations on preferential treatment—(1) General. During the year that begins on October 1, 2003, and during any subsequent year, articles of a producer or an entity controlling production that conform to the production standards set forth in §10.243(a)(4) will be eligible for preferential treatment only if:
(i) The aggregate cost of fabrics (exclusive of all findings and trimmings) formed in the United States that were used in the production of all of those articles of that producer or that entity controlling production that are entered as articles described in §10.243(a)(4) during the immediately preceding year was at least 75 percent of the aggregate declared customs value of the fabric (exclusive of all findings and trimmings) contained in all of those articles of that producer or that entity controlling production that are entered as articles described in §10.243(a)(4) during that year; or
(ii) In a case in which the 75 percent requirement set forth in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section was not met during a year and therefore those articles of that producer or that entity controlling production were not eligible for preferential treatment during the following year, the aggregate cost of fabrics (exclusive of all findings and trimmings) formed in the United States that were used in the production of all of those articles of that producer or that entity controlling production that conform to the production standards set forth in §10.243(a)(4) and that were entered during the immediately preceding year was at least 85 percent of the aggregate declared customs value of the fabric (exclusive of all findings and trimmings) contained in all of those articles of that producer or that entity controlling production that conform to the production standards set forth in §10.243(a)(4) and that were entered during that year; and
(iii) In conjunction with the filing of the claim for preferential treatment under §10.245, the importer records on the entry summary or warehouse withdrawal for consumption (Customs Form 7501, column 34), or its electronic equivalent, the distinct and unique identifier assigned by Customs to the applicable documentation prescribed under paragraph (c) of this section.
(2) Rules of application—(i) General. For purposes of paragraphs (b)(1)(i) and (b)(1)(ii) of this section and for purposes of preparing and filing the documentation prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section, the following rules will apply:
(A) The articles in question must have been produced in the manner specified in §10.243(a)(4) and the articles in question must be entered within the same year;
(B) Articles that are exported to countries other than the United States and are never entered are not to be considered in determining compliance with the 75 or 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) or paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section;
(C) Articles that are entered under an HTSUS subheading other than the HTSUS subheading which pertains to articles described in §10.243(a)(4) are not to be considered in determining compliance with the 75 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section;
(D) For purposes of determining compliance with the 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section, all articles that conform to the production standards set forth in §10.243(a)(4) must be considered, regardless of the HTSUS subheading under which they were entered;
(E) Fabric components and fabrics that constitute findings or trimmings are not to be considered in determining compliance with the 75 or 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) or paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section;
(F) Beginning October 1, 2003, in order for articles to be eligible for preferential treatment in a given year, a producer of, or entity controlling production of, those articles must have met the 75 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section during the immediately preceding year. If articles of a producer or entity controlling production fail to meet the 75 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section during a year, articles of that producer or entity controlling production:
(1) Will not be eligible for preferential treatment during the following year;
(2) Will remain ineligible for preferential treatment until the year that follows a year in which articles of that producer or entity controlling production met the 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section; and
(3) After the 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section has been met, will again be subject to the 75 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section during the following year for purposes of determining eligibility for preferential treatment in the next year.
(G) A new producer or new entity controlling production, that is, a producer or entity controlling production who did not produce or control production of articles that were entered as articles described in §10.243(a)(4) during the immediately preceding year, must first establish compliance with the 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section as a prerequisite to preparation of the declaration of compliance referred to in paragraph (c) of this section;
(H) A declaration of compliance prepared by a producer or by an entity controlling production must cover all production of that producer or all production that the entity controls for the year in question;
(I) A producer would not prepare a declaration of compliance if all of its production is covered by a declaration of compliance prepared by an entity controlling production;
(J) In the case of a producer, the 75 or 85 percent standard specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) or paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section and the declaration of compliance procedure under paragraph (c) of this section apply to all articles of that producer for the year in question, even if some but not all of that production is also covered by a declaration of compliance prepared by an entity controlling production;
(K) The U.S. importer does not have to be the producer or the entity controlling production who prepared the declaration of compliance; and
(L) The exclusion references regarding findings and trimmings in paragraph (b)(1)(i) and paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section apply to all findings and trimmings, whether or not they are of foreign origin.
(ii) Examples. The following examples will illustrate application of the principles set forth in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section.
Example 1. An ATPDEA beneficiary country producer of articles that meet the production standards specified in §10.243(a)(4) in the first year sends 50 percent of that production to ATPDEA region markets and the other 50 percent to the U.S. market; the cost of the fabrics formed in the United States equals 100 percent of the value of all of the fabric in the articles sent to the ATPDEA region and 60 percent of the value of all of the fabric in the articles sent to the United States. Although the cost of fabrics formed in the United States is more than 75 percent of the value of all of the fabric used in all of the articles produced, this producer could not prepare a valid declaration of compliance because the articles sent to the United States did not meet the minimum 75 percent standard.
Example 2. A producer sends to the United States in the first year three shipments of articles that meet the description in §10.243(a)(4); one of those shipments is entered under the HTSUS subheading that covers articles described in §10.243(a)(4), the second shipment is entered under the HTSUS subheading that covers articles described in §10.243(a)(7), and the third shipment is entered under subheading 9802.00.80, HTSUS. In determining whether the minimum 75 percent standard has been met in the first year for purposes of entry of articles under the HTSUS subheading that covers articles described in §10.243(a)(4) during the following (that is, second) year, consideration must be restricted to the articles in the first shipment and therefore must not include the articles in the second and third shipments.
Example 3. A producer in the second year begins production of articles that conform to the production standards specified in §10.243(a)(4); some of those articles are entered in that year under HTSUS subheading 6212.10 and others under HTSUS subheading 9802.00.80 but none are entered in that year under the HTSUS subheading which pertains to articles described in §10.243(a)(4) because the 75 percent standard had not been met in the preceding (that is, first) year. In this case the 85 percent standard applies, and all of the articles that were entered under the various HTSUS provisions in the second year must be taken into account in determining whether that 85 percent standard has been met. If the 85 percent was met in the aggregate for all of the articles entered in the second year, in the next (that is, third) year articles of that producer may receive preferential treatment under the HTSUS subheading which pertains to articles described in §10.243(a)(4).
Example 4. An entity controlling production of articles that meet the description in §10.243(a)(4) buys for the U.S., Canadian and Mexican markets; the articles in each case are first sent to the United States where they are entered for consumption and then placed in a commercial warehouse from which they are shipped to various stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Notwithstanding the fact that some of the articles ultimately ended up in Canada or Mexico, a declaration of compliance prepared by the entity controlling production must cover all of the articles rather than only those that remained in the United States because all of those articles had been entered for consumption.
Example 5. Fabric is cut and sewn in the United States with other U.S. materials to form cups which are joined together to form brassiere front subassemblies in the United States, and those front subassemblies are then placed in a warehouse in the United States where they are held until the following year; during that following year all of the front subassemblies are shipped to an ATPDEA beneficiary country where they are assembled with elastic strips and labels produced in an Asian country and other fabrics, components or materials produced in the ATPDEA beneficiary country to form articles that meet the production standards specified in §10.243(a)(4) and that are then shipped to the United States and entered during that same year. In determining whether the entered articles meet the minimum 75 or 85 percent standard, the fabric in the elastic strips and labels is to be disregarded entirely because the strips and labels constitute findings or trimmings for purposes of this section, and all of the fabric in the front subassemblies is countable because it was all formed in the United States and used in the production of articles that were entered in the same year.
Example 6. An ATPDEA beneficiary country producer's entire production of articles that meet the description in §10.243(a)(4) is sent to a U.S. importer in two separate shipments, one in February and the other in June of the same calendar year; the articles shipped in February do not meet the minimum 75 percent standard, the articles shipped in June exceed the 85 percent standard, and the articles in the two shipments, taken together, do meet the 75 percent standard; the articles covered by the February shipment are entered for consumption on March 1 of that calendar year, and the articles covered by the June shipment are placed in a Customs bonded warehouse upon arrival and are subsequently withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on November 1 of that calendar year. The ATPDEA beneficiary country producer may not prepare a valid declaration of compliance covering the articles in the first shipment because those articles did not meet the minimum 75 percent standard and because those articles cannot be included with the articles of the second shipment on the same declaration of compliance since they were entered in a different year. However, the ATPDEA beneficiary country producer may prepare a valid declaration of compliance covering the articles in the second shipment because those articles did meet the requisite 85 percent standard which would apply for purposes of entry of articles in the following year. (continued)