CITA clarifies on volume of imports under AGOA in 2015-16

In a notification, CITA chairman Joshua Teitelbaum said the supplementary information is being provided under Title I, Section 112(b)(3) of the Trade and Development Act of 2000 (TDA 2000) and other laws, and would be applicable for 12-month period beginning October 1, 2015.

As per the AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004, the quantitative limitation for the twelve-month period beginning October 1, 2015 will be an amount not to exceed 7 per cent of the aggregate square metre equivalents (SMEs) of all apparel articles imported into the US in the preceding 12-month period for which data are available.

Of this overall amount, apparel imported under the special rule for lesser-developed countries is limited to an amount not to exceed 3.5 per cent of all apparel articles imported into the US in the preceding 12-month period.

Accordingly, for the one-year period, beginning on October 1, 2015, and extending through September 30, 2016, the aggregate quantity of imports eligible for preferential treatment is 1,935,096,830 SME, Teitelbaum said.

“Of this amount, 967,548,415 SME is available to apparel articles imported under the special rule for lesser-developed countries. Apparel articles entered in excess of these quantities will be subject to otherwise applicable tariffs,” he clarified.

These quantities were calculated using the aggregate SMEs of all apparel articles imported into the US, derived from the set of Harmonized System lines listed in the Annex to the World Trade Organization Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC), and the conversion factors for units of measure into SME used by the US in implementing the ATC. (RKS)

ALCHEMPro News Desk – India