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24-hour hotline : 23 922 922
e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk
Ref. : EIC 111/2/11
5 August 2008
Dear Sirs,
Commercial Information Circular No. 404/2008
Certificate of Origin Circular No. 10/2008
Notice to Exporters :
Series 1 (USA) No. 7/2008
US : Proposed Change of Origin Rules for Certain Textiles and Apparel
Commercial Information Circular (CIC) No. 403/2008 and Certificate of Origin Circular (COC) No. 9/2008 also issued on 5 August 2008 reports a proposal by the US Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to amend its regulations to establish uniform rules governing the determinations of the country of imported merchandise. Among various changes, CBP proposed to make corrections to the rules of origin for certain textile and apparel products. This circular serves to explain the specific changes with regard to textiles and apparel products in the proposed rule.
DETAILS
- Rule of origin for textiles and apparel products imported from various countries including Hong Kong into the United States is governed by the Uruguay Round Agreement Act (URAA). To implement the rules of origin provisions of the URAA, CBP follows the regulations set out in Title 19, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 102.21(Part 102.21). CBP is now proposing to make changes to Part 102.21 in order to align with the languages of the URAA for fabrics of Chapter 59 Note 1 the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Under the existing regulation, plastic-laminated fabrics of HTSUS Heading 5903 may derive its origin from the lamination or assembly process. In the proposed rule, fabric-formation process, as specified in the URAA, will become the origin-conferring process for fabrics of HTSUS Chapter 59.
- Moreover, CBP proposes to rectify an oversight in the existing origin rules applicable to goods of HTSUS Heading 6212 Note 2. The proposed regulation will add a separate origin rule specifically for knit-to-shape goods under Heading 6212 in addition to the existing rules applicable to goods under the same HTSUS Heading that are not knit to shape. The proposed regulation ensures that a knit-to-shape good of Heading 6212 is allowed to derive its origin from where it was knit to shape.
- Traders may however wish to note that the proposed amendments to the rules of origin does not constitute a substantial change to the US' origin rule system for textiles and apparel products. Interested parties may refer to details of the Federal Register (FR) Notice (attached in the abovementioned CIC No. 403/2008 and COC No. 9/2008 or downloadable from: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-17025.pdf) and submit comments to CBP by 23 September 2008.
Enquiries
- For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact Miss S Y TANG at telephone number 2398 5405.
Yours faithfully,
(Miss WONG Ying)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry
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Electronic services for Production Notification, Certificate of Origin, Textiles
Notifications, and Cargo Manifests enable traders to lodge/make the relevant
applications directly through their office computer faster and easier. Tradelink
Electronic Commerce Limited currently runs services for the above documents,
and Global e-Trading Services Limited is providing electronic services for Cargo
Manifests. Please call the service providers for enquiries on their services:
Global e-Trading Services Limited (Tel.: 8109 1820)
Tradelink Electronic Commerce Limited (Tel.: 2599 1700) |
Note : While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.
Note1 : HTSUS Chapter 59 covers impregnated, coated, covered or laminated textile fabrics and textile articles of a kind suitable for industrial use.
Note2 : HTSUS Heading 6212 covers brassieres, girdles, corsets, braces, suspenders, garters and similar articles and parts thereof, whether or not knitted or crocheted. |
