Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations to U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Meet

The Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations to U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("COAC") will meet on October 29, 2015 in Washington, DC. The meeting will be open to the public.

The Committee will hear from the following subcommittees on the topics listed below and then will review, deliberate, provide observations, and formulate recommendations on how to proceed on those topics:

1. The Trade Modernization Subcommittee will discuss the progress of the Center of Excellence and Expertise ("CEE") Working Group which is addressing the topics of uniformity and levels of service across all of the CEEs. The subcommittee will also discuss the formation of two new working groups, the International Engagement & Trade Facilitation Working Group and the Future Role of Global Supply Chain Parties Working Group.

2. The Global Supply Chain Subcommittee will discuss recommendations related to the use of electronic cargo security devices and their impact on CBP operations. The Pipeline Working Group will provide recommendations pertaining to clear definitions on in-transit pipeline movements and related topics. The subcommittee will also discuss Customs—Trade Partnership Against Terrorism ("C-TPAT"), land ports of entry (Canada and Mexico), ocean cargo, in-transit movements and the Air Cargo Advance Screening pilot ("ACAS").

3. The Exports Subcommittee Manifest Working Group will continue its review of theFederal RegisterNotices for the Air and Ocean Export Manifest Cargo Tests, and further discuss one of the elements developed from the COAC export mapping exercise, the Progressive Filing Model and Air Environment. The Exports Subcommittee will provide recommendations stemming from the reviews.

4. The One U.S. Government Subcommittee will discuss progress of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Single Window effort and the COAC recommendations. The subcommittee will provide input on trade readiness and partner government agencies' readiness for the upcoming November 1, 2015, ACE implementation of Single Window. There will also be an update from the North American Single Window Vision Working Group. In addition, the Consumer Product Safety Commission ("CPSC") and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will provide updates on previous COAC recommendations.

5. The Trade Enforcement and Revenue Collection Subcommittee will discuss the establishment of the 14th Term Intellectual Property Rights Working Group, the Trade Enforcement Vision Working Group, and progress made on the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Working Group.

6. The Trusted Trader Subcommittee will report on the Trusted Trader Pilot and discussions on the implementation of the second phase for testing U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("CBP") and partner government agency trade benefits.

Annual Meeting at American Textile History Museum October 15&16, 2015

Industry leaders will gather this fall in Lowell, Massachusetts for the American Flock Association annual meeting and a celebration of 30 years of service to the industry. All are invited to hear presentations focused on the flock industry. A special feature will be an explanation by an OSHA representative of the new SDS replacing the current MSDS. There also will be a guided tour of the American Textile History Museum. Click here for registration.

• Network with industry leaders.

• Learn about international trade opportunities.

• Understand the new OSHA labeling and SDS regulations.

• Delve into the sound dampening qualities of flock.

• Tour the American Textile History Museum.

FEMA Needs to Cohesively Manage Its Workforce and Fully Address Post-Katrina Reforms

In meeting its mission to help prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency ("FEMA")—a component of the Department of Homeland Security ("DHS")—contracts for a variety of products and services, ranging from providing tarps and blankets for disaster survivors to computer systems support. In fiscal years 2013 and 2014, FEMA obligated more than $2.1 billion for its disaster and non-disaster contracts. The focus of this report is FEMA’s disaster contracting, which during this period included obligations of $631 million from the FEMA headquarters contracting offices primarily responsible for supporting disasters, and almost $137 million from FEMA’s regional offices.

According to a report by the U.S. Government Accountibility Office ("GAO"), FEMA has more than tripled the number of contracting officers it employs since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but it does not have a sufficient process in place to prioritize disaster workload and cohesively manage its workforce. Some of the workforce growth is attributed to the establishment of the Disaster Acquisition Response Team ("DART") in 2010, which has the primary mission of deploying to provide disaster contracting support, such as contracting for blankets or debris removal. DART has gradually assumed responsibility for administering the majority of disaster contract spending, but FEMA does not have a process for prioritizing the team's work during disasters. Without such a process, FEMA is at risk of developing gaps in contract oversight during major disasters. Further, in 2011, FEMA established an agreement that regional contracting officers would report to headquarters supervisors for technical oversight while continuing to respond to regional supervisors—who have responsibility for administrative duties—for everyday operations. This agreement has led to challenges for FEMA in cohesively managing its workforce, including heightening the potential for an environment of competing interests for the regional contracting officers. Further, FEMA has not revisited this agreement on annual basis as called for in the agreement. As a result, it does not incorporate lessons learned since its creation 4 years ago.

Read the full GAO report HERE.

Fourth annual Fibershed Wool & Fine Fiber Symposium

The Fourth annual Fibershed Wool & Fine Fiber Symposium will be held November 7th, 2015, at Point Reyes Station, California.
In addition to hands-on activities and demonstrations, there will be informative presentations on collaborations between fiber farmers and designers, as well as on carbon farming, soil carbon sampling and drought tolerant breeds.
The Fibershed Marketplace will offer an array of beautiful local fibers and handmade goods, on sale in the Dance Palace church building, as well as on the lawn (weather permitting).
For more information go to https://wool-symposium-2015.eventbrite.com
Fibershed is a non-profit educational and research organization that develops regenerative textile systems that are based on carbon farming, regional manufacturing, and public education. We envision the emergence of an international system of regional textile communities that enliven connection and ownership of ‘soil-to-soil’ textile processes. These diverse textile cultures are designed to build soil carbon stocks on the working landscapes on which they depend, while directly enhancing the strength of regional economies. Both fiber and food systems now face a drastically changing climate, and must utilize the best of time-honored knowledge and available science for their long-term ability to thrive.
In 2013 Agathon Associates assisted Fibershed in the research and production of a Feasibility Study for a California Wool Mill.

AGOA TPLs Announced

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. The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements ("CITA"), today, announce the TPL for the period October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016 will be 1,935,096,830 square meter equivalents ("SME"). 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. Today CITA announced the TPL for the 12-month period starting October 1, 2015 will be 967,548,415 SME.

Clients of Agathon Associates, subscribers to Agathon Associates' Trade Advisor Service, and students in TMD 433 at the University of Rhode Island can learn more about AGOA at http://agathonassociates.com/textile-pri/agoa/. You will need to enter your username and password. If you do not know your username and password email David Trumbull at david@agathonassociates.com.

Burlington Awarded Air Force Wool Fabric Contract

Burlington Apparel, Greensboro, North Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $9,846,000 modification (P00103) exercising the third one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPM1C1-12-D-1072) with four one-year option periods for poly/wool cloth for Air Force uniforms. This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract. Location of performance is North Carolina, with a Sept. 26, 2016, performance completion date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2015 through fiscal 2016 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Fine Animal Hair Dehairing Facility Slated to Open in U.S.

Every great journey begins with an idea! And, some journeys are destined to never end! Natural Fiber Producers cooperative, developed in 2007, was built on the foundation of profitability and sustainability for U.S. natural fiber producers. That founding idea became a unique cooperative model and provided the stepping-stone for a bigger idea. The Dehairing Project, NFP’s dream-turned journey, began early in 2014 and has reached a milestone this week.

Since its arrival in the U.S. in August, the machine has undergone the necessary reassembling transitions under the watchful eye of Gregorio Scarpini, the technician from Cormatex, the Italian manufacturer of this commercial dehairing machine. With assembly and installation near completion, the machine is about to start up and initial calibration and testing commence. The now almost 100 feet of equipment will soon face a most historical time frame. NFP’s Dehairing Project Manager, Carrie Hull, arrived in Kentucky this week, joining Gregorio and the crew of US Natural Fibers (operators of the machine), in perfect time to oversee the initial dehairing process. The first commercial batch of fiber, American Bison or Buffalo fiber from Buffalo Gold and Buffalo Wool Co. of Texas has already begun scouring (washing) at the US Natural Fiber facility in preparation for dehairing.

With the fiber and textile industry on the cusp of resurgence, exciting newsworthy events began to unfold this past week. A unique opportunity to participate in “Dehairing Fiber Trials” was presented by Hull to North American fiber producers. At least a dozen producers from Alaska to Maine and including Canada have shipped their precious fiber to Kentucky for inclusion in the trials. These fibers include Musk Ox (qiviut), Yak, Cashmere, Angora Goat (Mohair), Llama, Suri and Huacaya alpaca, and Angora rabbit.

The 2-day “Bison and Bourbon” Grand Opening event at the US Natural Fiber facility in Springfield, Kentucky began on Thursday, September 17 at 10:30 a.m. with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. The program included speakers from the Springfield community, the fiber industry, and Natural Fiber Producers as well as a media presentation of the Dehairing Project journey. Following the ceremony, light refreshments including a Popcorn Bar accompanied displays, fiber sorting & grading demonstrations, tours of the facility and vendor booths continued throughout the afternoon.

Natural Fiber Producers (NFP) is an agricultural cooperative, advancing the opportunity for sustainability and enhanced profitability for its fiber-producing owners. Founded in 2007, Natural Fiber Producers is proud to report that all their products are processed here in the U.S. from fiber grown in the U.S. and Canada. Products are marketed to members and retailers at wholesale cost with those profits being returned to the members. Member access to commercial processing through value added products provides profit margins between $14-61 per pound, and increases the volume of US-grown natural fibers entering the pipeline. In 2012, the organization opened its membership to include producers of llama, sheep, angora, cashmere, yak, buffalo, and qiviut. Now, the reintroduction of dehairing services to the US revitalizes the textile industry and builds momentum for Green and Natural Products.