Limitations of Duty- and Quota-Free Imports of Apparel Articles Assembled in Beneficiary Sub-Saharan African Countries From Regional and ThirdCountry Fabric

On September 21, 2022, the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements published in the Federal Register (87 FR 57681) Limitations of Duty- and Quota-Free Imports of Apparel Articles Assembled in Beneficiary Sub-Saharan African Countries From Regional and ThirdCountry Fabric.

The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act ("AGOA") provides for duty-free entry of apparel assembled in the AGOA region of fabric formed in the U.S. of yarn formed in the U.S. It also provided for a Tariff Preference Level ("TPL") equal to seven percent of all U.S. apparel imports for apparel assembled in the AGOA region of fabric from the AGOA region. There is also a TPL for Lesser Developed Countries ("LDCs") in the AGOA region for apparel assembled in an AGOA LDC of third-country fabric. The TPL is set at 3.5 percent of all U.S. apparel imports.

For the one-year period, beginning on October 1, 2022, and extending through September 30, 2023, the aggregate quantity of imports eligible for preferential treatment under these provisions is 2,353,677,080 square meters equivalent. Of this amount, 1,176,838,540 square meters equivalent is available to apparel articles imported under the special rule for lesserdeveloped countries. Apparel articles entered in excess of these quantities will be subject to otherwise applicable tariffs.