Determination Under the Textile and Apparel Commercial Availability Provision of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (“CAFTA-DR”)

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements ("CITA") has determined that certain faux leather fabric bonded to a pile fabric, as specified below, is not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the CAFTA-DR countries. The product is added to the list in Annex 3.25 of the CAFTA-DR in unrestricted quantities.

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 190 (Friday, October 2, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 190 (Friday, October 2, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62719-62720]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-20244]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Determination Under the Textile and Apparel Commercial 
Availability Provision of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United 
States Free Trade Agreement (``CAFTA-DR'')

AGENCY: The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

ACTION: Determination to add a product in unrestricted quantities to 
Annex 3.25 of the CAFTA-DR.

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SUMMARY: The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements 
(``CITA'') has determined that certain faux leather fabric bonded to a 
pile fabric, as specified below, is not available in commercial 
quantities in a timely manner in the CAFTA-DR countries. The product is 
added to the list in Annex 3.25 of the CAFTA-DR in unrestricted 
quantities.

DATES: Applicable Date: October 2, 2026.

ADDRESSES: <a href="https://otexaprod.trade.gov/otexacapublicsite/requests/cafta">https://otexaprod.trade.gov/otexacapublicsite/requests/cafta</a> 
under ``Approved Requests,'' File Number: CA2026008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kayla Johnson, Office of Textiles and 
Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-2532 or 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f7bc968e9b96d9bd989f99849899b78385969392d9909881"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="93d8f2eafff2bdd9fcfbfde0fcfdd3e7e1f2f7f6bdf4fce5">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Authority: The CAFTA-DR; Section 203(o)(4) of the Dominican 
Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement 
Implementation Act (``CAFTA-DR Implementation Act''), Public Law 109-
53; the Statement of

[[Page 62720]]

Administrative Action accompanying the CAFTA-DR Implementation Act; and 
Presidential Proclamation 7987 (February 28, 2006).
    Background: The CAFTA-DR provides a list in Annex 3.25 for fabrics, 
yarns, and fibers that the Parties to the CAFTA-DR have determined are 
not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the 
territory of any Party. The CAFTA-DR provides that this list may be 
modified pursuant to Article 3.25.4, when the United States determines 
that a fabric, yarn, or fiber is not available in commercial quantities 
in a timely manner in the territory of any Party. See Annex 3.25 of the 
CAFTA-DR; see also section 203(o)(4)(C) of the CAFTA-DR Implementation 
Act.
    The CAFTA-DR Implementation Act requires the President to establish 
procedures governing the submission of a request and providing 
opportunity for interested entities to submit comments and supporting 
evidence before a commercial availability determination is made. In 
Presidential Proclamation 7987, the President delegated to CITA the 
authority under section 203(o)(4) of CAFTA-DR Implementation Act for 
modifying the Annex 3.25 list. Pursuant to this authority, on September 
15, 2008, CITA published modified procedures it would follow in 
considering requests to modify the Annex 3.25 list of products 
determined to be not commercially available in the territory of any 
Party to the CAFTA-DR (Modifications to Procedures for Considering 
Requests Under the Commercial Availability Provision of the Dominican 
Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement, 73 FR 
53200) (``CITA's Procedures'').
    On August 28, 2026, CITA received a Commercial Availability Request 
(``Request'') from Youngone (El Salvador) S.A. de C.V. (``Youngone'') 
for certain faux leather fabric bonded to a pile fabric, as specified 
below. On September 1, 2026, in accordance with CITA's Procedures, CITA 
notified interested parties of the Request, which was posted on the 
dedicated website for CAFTA-DR Commercial Availability proceedings. In 
its notification, CITA advised that any Response with an Offer to 
Supply (``Response'') must be submitted by September 14, 2026, and any 
Rebuttal to a Response (``Rebuttal'') must be submitted by September 
18, 2026, in accordance with sections 6 and 7 of CITA's Procedures. No 
interested entity submitted a Response to the Request advising CITA of 
its objection to the Request with an offer to supply the subject 
product.
    In accordance with section 203(o)(4)(C) of the CAFTA-DR 
Implementation Act, and section 8(c)(2) of CITA's Procedures, as no 
interested entity submitted a Response objecting to the Request and 
providing an offer to supply the subject product, CITA has determined 
to add the specified fabric to the list in Annex 3.25 of the CAFTA-DR.
    The subject product has been added to the list in Annex 3.25 of the 
CAFTA-DR Agreement in unrestricted quantities. A revised list has been 
posted on the dedicated website for CAFTA-DR Commercial Availability 
proceedings, at <a href="https://otexaprod.trade.gov/otexacapublicsite/shortsupply/cafta">https://otexaprod.trade.gov/otexacapublicsite/shortsupply/cafta</a>.

Specifications: Certain Faux Leather Fabric Bonded to a Pile Fabric

    HTS: 6001.10; 6001.92.00.
    Fabric Type: Knit fabric, faux leather bonded to a pile fabric.
    Fiber Content:
    Face: Faux leather fabric constructed from a 100% polyester knit 
fabric.
    Back: Sherpa knit pile fabric 60-64% polyester, 36-40% acrylic.
    Yarn Size:
    Face: 75 Denier sea-island filament 100% polyester used for both 
warp and weft.
    Back: Binding polyester 150 denier polyester combined with tops 
acrylic fiber, weighing between 8 to 18 grams.
    Thread Count:
    Face: Wales/cm 32, Course/cm 32.
    Back: Wales/cm 7, Course/cm 8.
    Weight: 442-488 grams per square meter.
    Width: 137 to 143 centimeters (equivalent to 53.9 inches to 56.30 
inches).
    Weave: Knit in both, face and back.
    Coloration:
    Face: Roll dyed, colors: black, brown and green and overprinted;
    Back side: fiber Dyed in colors black, brown and green.
    Finishing: Bonded using the Moltopren heat process, which involves 
a flame lamination technique that fuses the layers through controlled 
heat and pressure.
    The finished sherpa hair has a height of approximately 4 to 7 mm in 
the back.
    Additional Information: Sea island fiber is also known as super-
conjugate fiber or butterfly polyester yarn, is formed by a core 
component dispersed in another polymer in a longitudinally continuous 
way. Polymer material forms the core part, which is also called the 
island phase or dispersed phase. Another polymer is called sea 
component, sea phase, or continuous phase. Because original dispersed 
phase fiber presents as an island state in the fiber section, it is 
called sea-island fiber.

Joshua Kroon,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 2026-20244 Filed 10-1-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P


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