§ 3203 — Eligible Articles

(1) Unless otherwise excluded from eligibility (or otherwise provided for) by this chapter, the duty-free treatment (or preferential treatment) provided under this chapter shall apply to any article which is the growth, product, or manufacture of a beneficiary country if— (A) that article is imported directly from a beneficiary country into the customs territory of the United States; and (B) the sum of— (i) the cost or value of the materials produced in a beneficiary country or 2 or more beneficiary countries under this chapter, or a beneficiary country under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act [19 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.] or 2 or more such countries, plus (ii) the direct costs of processing operations performed in a beneficiary country or countries (under this chapter or the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act), (2) The Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out paragraph (1) including, but not limited to, regulations providing that, in order to be eligible for duty-free treatment under this chapter, an article must be wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of a beneficiary country, or must be a new or different article of commerce which has been grown, produced, or manufactured in the beneficiary country; but no article or material of a beneficiary country shall be eligible for such treatment by virtue of having merely undergone— (A) simple combining or packaging operations, or (B) mere dilution with water or mere dilution with another substance that does not materially alter the characteristics of the article. (3) As used in this subsection, the phrase “direct costs of processing operations” includes, but is not limited to— (A) all actual labor costs involved in the growth, production, manufacture, or assembly of the specific merchandise, including fringe benefits, on-the-job training and the cost of engineering, supervisory, quality control, and similar personnel; and (B) dies, molds, tooling, and depreciation on machinery and equipment which are allocable to the specific merchandise. (4) If the President, pursuant to section 223 of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Expansion Act of 1990, considers that the implementation of revised rules of origin for products of beneficiary countries designated under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) would be appropriate, the President may include similarly revised rules of origin for products of beneficiary countries designated under this chapter in any suggested legislation transmitted to the Congress that contains such rules of origin for products of beneficiary countries under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act. (1) The President may proclaim duty-free treatment under this chapter for any article described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D) that is the growth, product, or manufacture of an ATPDEA beneficiary country, that is imported directly into the customs territory of the United States from an ATPDEA beneficiary country, and that meets the requirements of this section, if the President determines that such article is not import-sensitive in the context of imports from ATPDEA beneficiary countries: (A) Footwear not designated at the time of the effective date of this chapter as eligible for purposes of the generalized system of preferences under title V of the Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 2461 et seq.]. (B) Petroleum, or any product derived from petroleum, provided for in headings 2709 and 2710 of the HTS. (C) Watches and watch parts (including cases, bracelets and straps), of whatever type including, but not limited to, mechanical, quartz digital or quartz analog, if such watches or watch parts contain any material which is the product of any country with respect to which HTS column 2 rates of duty apply. (D) Handbags, luggage, flat goods, work gloves, and leather wearing apparel that were not designated on August 5, 1983, as eligible articles for purposes of the generalized system of preferences under title V of the Trade Act of 1974. (2) Subject to paragraph (3), duty-free treatment under this chapter may not be extended to— (A) textiles and apparel articles which were not eligible articles for purposes of this chapter on January 1, 1994, as this chapter was in effect on that date; (B) rum and tafia classified in subheading 2208.40 of the HTS; (C) sugars, syrups, and sugar-containing products subject to over-quota duty rates under applicable tariff-rate quotas; or (D) tuna prepared or preserved in any manner in airtight containers, except as provided in paragraph (4). (A) Apparel articles that are imported directly into the customs territory of the United States from an ATPDEA beneficiary country shall enter the United States free of duty and free of any quantitative restrictions, limitations, or consultation levels, but only if such articles are described in subparagraph (B). (B) The apparel articles referred to in subparagraph (A) are the following: (i) Apparel articles sewn or otherwise assembled in 1 or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, or the United States, or both, exclusively from any one or any combination of the following: (I) Fabrics or fabric components wholly formed, or components knit-to-shape, in the United States, from yarns wholly formed in the United States or 1 or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries (including fabrics not formed from yarns, if such fabrics are classifiable under heading 5602 or 5603 of the HTS and are formed in the United States). Apparel articles shall qualify under this subclause only if all dyeing, printing, and finishing of the fabrics from which the articles are assembled, if the fabrics are knit fabrics, is carried out in the United States. Apparel articles shall qualify under this subclause only if all dyeing, printing, and finishing of the fabrics from which the articles are assembled, if the fabrics are woven fabrics, is carried out in the United States. (II) Fabrics or fabric components formed or components knit-to-shape, in 1 or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, from yarns wholly formed in 1 or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, if such fabrics (including fabrics not formed from yarns, if such fabrics are classifiable under heading 5602 or 5603 of the HTS and are formed in 1 or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries) or components are in chief value of llama, alpaca, or vicuña. (III) Fabrics or yarns, to the extent that apparel articles of such fabrics or yarns would be eligible for preferential treatment, without regard to the source of the fabrics or yarns, under Annex 401 of the NAFTA. (ii) At the request of any interested party, the President is authorized to proclaim additional fabrics and yarns as eligible for preferential treatment under clause (i)(III) if— (I) the President determines that such fabrics or yarns cannot be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner; (II) the President has obtained advice regarding the proposed action from the appropriate advisory committee established under section 135 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2155) and the United States International Trade Commission; (III) within 60 days after the request, the President has submitted a report to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate that sets forth the action proposed to be proclaimed and the reasons for such action, and the advice obtained under subclause (II); (IV) a period of 60 calendar days, beginning with the first day on which the President has met the requirements of subclause (III), has expired; and (V) the President has consulted with such committees regarding the proposed action during the period referred to in subclause (III). (I) Subject to the limitation set forth in subclause (II), apparel articles sewn or otherwise assembled in 1 or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries from fabrics or from fabric components formed or from components knit-to-shape, in 1 or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, from yarns wholly formed in the United States or 1 or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries (including fabrics not formed from yarns, if such fabrics are classifiable under heading 5602 or 5603 of the HTS and are formed in 1 or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries), whether or not the apparel articles are also made from any of the fabrics, fabric components formed, or components knit-to-shape described in clause (i) (unless the apparel articles are made exclusively from any of the fabrics, fabric components formed, or components knit-to-shape described in clause (i)). (II) The preferential treatment referred to in subclause (I) shall be extended in the 1-year period beginning October 1, 2002, and in each of the 10 succeeding 1-year periods, to imports of apparel articles in an amount not to exceed the applicable percentage of the aggregate square meter equivalents of all apparel articles imported into the United States in the preceding 12-month period for which data are available. (III) For purposes of subclause (II), the term “applicable percentage” means— (aa) 2 percent for the 1-year period beginning October 1, 2002, increased in each of the 4 succeeding 1-year periods by equal increments, so that for the period beginning October 1, 2006, the applicable percentage does not exceed 5 percent; and (bb) for the 1-year period beginning October 1, 2007, and for the succeeding 5-year period, the percentage determined under item (aa) for the 1-year period beginning October 1, 2006. (iv) A handloomed, handmade, or folklore article of an ATPDEA beneficiary country identified under subparagraph (C) that is certified as such by the competent authority of such beneficiary country. (I) Any apparel article classifiable under subheading 6212.10 of the HTS, except for articles entered under clause (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv), if the article is both cut and sewn or otherwise assembled in the United States, or one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries, or both. (II) During the 1-year period beginning on October 1, 2003, and during each of the 9 succeeding 1-year periods, apparel articles described in subclause (I) of a producer or an entity controlling production shall be eligible for preferential treatment under this paragraph only if the aggregate cost of fabrics (exclusive of all findings and trimmings) formed in the United States that are used in the production of all such articles of that producer or entity that are entered and eligible under this clause during the preceding 1-year period is at least 75 percent of the aggregate declared customs value of the fabric (exclusive of all findings and trimmings) contained in all such articles of that producer or entity that are entered and eligible under this clause during the preceding 1-year period. (III) The United States Customs Service shall develop and implement methods and procedures to ensure ongoing compliance with the requirement set forth in subclause (II). If the Customs Service finds that a producer or an entity controlling production has not satisfied such requirement in a 1-year period, then apparel articles described in subclause (I) of that producer or entity shall be ineligible for preferential treatment under this paragraph during any succeeding 1-year period until the aggregate cost of fabrics (exclusive of all findings and trimmings) formed in the United States that are used in the production of such articles of that producer or entity entered during the preceding 1-year period is at least 85 percent of the aggregate declared customs value of the fabric (exclusive of all findings and trimmings) contained in all such articles of that producer or entity that are entered and eligible under this clause during the preceding 1-year period. (I) An article otherwise eligible for preferential treatment under this paragraph shall not be ineligible for such treatment because the article contains findings or trimmings of foreign origin, if such findings and trimmings do not exceed 25 percent of the cost of the components of the assembled product. Examples of findings and trimmings are sewing thread, hooks and eyes, snaps, buttons, “bow buds”, decorative lace, trim, elastic strips, zippers, including zipper tapes and labels, and other similar products. (aa) An article otherwise eligible for preferential treatment under this paragraph shall not be ineligible for such treatment because the article contains certain interlinings of foreign origin, if the value of such interlinings (and any findings and trimmings) does not exceed 25 percent of the cost of the components of the assembled article. (bb) Interlinings eligible for the treatment described in division (aa) include only a chest type plate, “hymo” piece, or “sleeve header”, of woven or weft-inserted warp knit construction and of coarse animal hair or man-made filaments. (cc) The treatment described in this subclause shall terminate if the President makes a determination that United States manufacturers are producing such interlinings in the United States in commercial quantities. (III) An article that would otherwise be ineligible for preferential treatment under this subparagraph because the article contains yarns not wholly formed in the United States or in one or more ATPDEA beneficiary countries shall not be ineligible for such treatment if the total weight of all such yarns is not more than 7 percent of the total weight of the good. (IV) An article otherwise eligible for preferential treatment under clause (i) or (iii) shall not be ineligible for such treatment because the article contains nylon filament yarn (other than elastomeric yarn) that is classifiable under subheading 5402.10.30, 5402.10.60, 5402.31.30, 5402.31.60, 5402.32.30, 5402.32.60, 5402.41.10, 5402.41.90, 5402.51.00, or 5402.61.00 of the HTS from a country that is a party to an agreement with the United States establishing a free trade area, which entered into force before January 1, 1995. (vii) Textile luggage— (I) assembled in an ATPDEA beneficiary country from fabric wholly formed and cut in the United States, from yarns wholly formed in the United States, that is entered under subheading 9802.00.80 of the HTS; or (II) assembled from fabric cut in an ATPDEA beneficiary country from fabric wholly formed in the United States from yarns wholly formed in the United States. (viii) If the President determines that any fabric or yarn was determined to be eligible for preferential treatment under clause (i)(III) or (ii) on the basis of fraud, the President is authorized to remove that designation from that fabric or yarn with respect to articles entered after such removal. (C) For purposes of subparagraph (B)(iv), the President shall consult with representatives of the ATPDEA beneficiary countries concerned for the purpose of identifying particular textile and apparel goods that are mutually agreed upon as being handloomed, handmade, or folklore goods of a kind described in section 2.3(a), (b), or (c) of the Annex or Appendix 3.1.B.11 of the Annex. (i) If the President determines, based on sufficient evidence, that an exporter has engaged in transshipment with respect to apparel articles from an ATPDEA beneficiary country, then the President shall deny all benefits under this chapter to such exporter, and any successor of such exporter, for a period of 2 years. (ii) Whenever the President finds, based on sufficient evidence, that transshipment has occurred, the President shall request that the ATPDEA beneficiary country or countries through whose territory the transshipment has occurred take all necessary and appropriate actions to prevent such transshipment. If the President determines that a country is not taking such actions, the President shall reduce the quantities of apparel articles that may be imported into the United States from such country by the quantity of the transshipped articles multiplied by 3, to the extent consistent with the obligations of the United States under the WTO. (iii) Transshipment within the meaning of this subparagraph has occurred when preferential treatment under subparagraph (A) has been claimed for an apparel article on the basis of material false information concerning the country of origin, manufacture, processing, or assembly of the article or any of its components. For purposes of this clause, false information is material if disclosure of the true information would mean or would have meant that the article is or was ineligible for preferential treatment under subparagraph (A). (i) The President may take bilateral emergency tariff actions of a kind described in section 4 of the Annex with respect to any apparel article imported from an ATPDEA beneficiary country if the application of tariff treatment under subparagraph (A) to such article results in conditions that would be cause for the taking of such actions under such section 4 with respect to a like article described in the same 8-digit subheading of the HTS that is imported from Mexico. (ii) For purposes of applying bilateral emergency action under this subparagraph— (I) the requirements of paragraph (5) of section 4 of the Annex (relating to providing compensation) shall not apply; (II) the term “transition period” in section 4 of the Annex shall mean the period ending July 31, 2013; and (III) the requirements to consult specified in section 4 of the Annex shall be treated as satisfied if the President requests consultations with the ATPDEA beneficiary country in question and the country does not agree to consult within the time period specified under section 4 of the Annex. (A) Tuna that is harvested by United States vessels or ATPDEA beneficiary country vessels, that is prepared or preserved in any manner, in an ATPDEA beneficiary country, in foil or other flexible airtight containers weighing with their contents not more than 6.8 kilograms each, and that is imported directly into the customs territory of the United States from an ATPDEA beneficiary country, shall enter the United States free of duty and free of any quantitative restrictions. (B) In this paragraph— (i) A “United States vessel” is— (I) a vessel that has a certificate of documentation with a fishery endorsement under chapter 121 of title 46; or (II) in the case of a vessel without a fishery endorsement, a vessel that is documented under the laws of the United States and for which a license has been issued pursuant to section 973g of title 16. (ii) An “ATPDEA vessel” is a vessel— (I) which is registered or recorded in an ATPDEA beneficiary country; (II) which sails under the flag of an ATPDEA beneficiary country; (III) which is at least 75 percent owned by nationals of an ATPDEA beneficiary country or by a company having its principal place of business in an ATPDEA beneficiary country, of which the manager or managers, chairman of the board of directors or of the supervisory board, and the majority of the members of such boards are nationals of an ATPDEA beneficiary country and of which, in the case of a company, at least 50 percent of the capital is owned by an ATPDEA beneficiary country or by public bodies or nationals of an ATPDEA beneficiary country; (IV) of which the master and officers are nationals of an ATPDEA beneficiary country; and (V) of which at least 75 percent of the crew are nationals of an ATPDEA beneficiary country. (i) Any importer that claims preferential treatment under paragraph (1), (3), or (4) shall comply with customs procedures similar in all material respects to the requirements of Article 502(1) of the NAFTA as implemented pursuant to United States law, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Secretary of the Treasury. (I) In order to qualify for the preferential treatment under paragraph (1), (3), or (4) and for a Certificate of Origin to be valid with respect to any article for which such treatment is claimed, there shall be in effect a determination by the President that each country described in subclause (II)— (aa) has implemented and follows, or (bb) is making substantial progress toward implementing and following, (II) A country is described in this subclause if it is an ATPDEA beneficiary country— (aa) from which the article is exported; or (bb) in which materials used in the production of the article originate or in which the article or such materials undergo production that contributes to a claim that the article is eligible for preferential treatment under paragraph (1), (3), or (4). (B) The Certificate of Origin that otherwise would be required pursuant to the provisions of subparagraph (A) shall not be required in the case of an article imported under paragraph (1), (3), or (4) if such Certificate of Origin would not be required under Article 503 of the NAFTA (as implemented pursuant to United States law), if the article were imported from Mexico. (C) The United States Commissioner of Customs shall conduct a study analyzing the extent to which each ATPDEA beneficiary country— (i) has cooperated fully with the United States, consistent with its domestic laws and procedures, in instances of circumvention or alleged circumvention of existing quotas on imports of textile and apparel goods, to establish necessary relevant facts in the places of import, export, and, where applicable, transshipment, including investigation of circumvention practices, exchanges of documents, correspondence, reports, and other relevant information, to the extent such information is available; (ii) has taken appropriate measures, consistent with its domestic laws and procedures, against exporters and importers involved in instances of false declaration concerning quantities, description, classification, or origin of textile and apparel goods; and (iii) has penalized the individuals and entities involved in any such circumvention, consistent with its domestic laws and procedures, and has worked closely to seek the cooperation of any third country to prevent such circumvention from taking place in that third country. (6) In this subsection— (A) The term “the Annex” means Annex 300-B of the NAFTA. (B) The term “ATPDEA beneficiary country” means any “beneficiary country”, as defined in section 3202(a)(1) of this title, which the President designates as an ATPDEA beneficiary country, taking into account the criteria contained in subsections (c) and (d) of section 3202 of this title and other appropriate criteria, including the following: (i) Whether the beneficiary country has demonstrated a commitment to— (I) undertake its obligations under the WTO, including those agreements listed in section 3511(d) of this title, on or ahead of schedule; and (II) participate in negotiations toward the completion of the FTAA or another free trade agreement. (ii) The extent to which the country provides protection of intellectual property rights consistent with or greater than the protection afforded under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights described in section 3511(d)(15) of this title. (iii) The extent to which the country provides internationally recognized worker rights, including— (I) the right of association; (II) the right to organize and bargain collectively; (III) a prohibition on the use of any form of forced or compulsory labor; (IV) a minimum age for the employment of children; and (V) acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health. (iv) Whether the country has implemented its commitments to eliminate the worst forms of child labor, as defined in section 507(6) of the Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 2467(6)]. (v) The extent to which the country has met the counternarcotics certification criteria set forth in section 2291j of title 22 for eligibility for United States assistance. (vi) The extent to which the country has taken steps to become a party to and implements the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption. (vii) The extent to which the country— (I) applies transparent, nondiscriminatory, and competitive procedures in government procurement equivalent to those contained in the Agreement on Government Procurement described in section 3511(d)(17) of this title; and (II) contributes to efforts in international fora to develop and implement international rules in transparency in government procurement. (viii) The extent to which the country has taken steps to support the efforts of the United States to combat terrorism. (C) The term “NAFTA” means the North American Free Trade Agreement entered into between the United States, Mexico, and Canada on December 17, 1992. (D) The term “WTO” has the meaning given that term in section 3501 of this title. (E) The term “ATPDEA” means the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act. (F) The term “FTAA” means the Free Trade Area for the Americas. (1) The President may by proclamation suspend the duty-free treatment provided by this chapter with respect to any eligible article and may proclaim a duty rate for such article if such action is proclaimed under chapter 1 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 2251 et seq.] or section 1862 of this title. (2) In any report by the United States International Trade Commission to the President under section 202(f) of the Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 2252(f)] regarding any article for which duty-free treatment has been proclaimed by the President pursuant to this chapter, the Commission shall state whether and to what extent its findings and recommendations apply to such article when imported from beneficiary countries. (3) For purposes of section 203 of the Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 2253], the suspension of the duty-free treatment provided by this chapter shall be treated as an increase in duty. (4) No proclamation providing solely for a suspension referred to in paragraph (3) of this subsection with respect to any article shall be taken under section 203 of the Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 2253] unless the United States International Trade Commission, in addition to making an affirmative determination with respect to such article under section 202(b) of the Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 2252(b)], determines in the course of its investigation under such section that the serious injury (or threat thereof) substantially caused by imports to the domestic industry producing a like or directly competitive article results from the duty-free treatment provided by this chapter. (A) Any action taken under section 203 of the Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 2253] that is in effect when duty-free treatment is proclaimed under section 3201 of this title shall remain in effect until modified or terminated. (B) If any article is subject to any such action at the time duty-free treatment is proclaimed under section 3201 of this title, the President may reduce or terminate the application of such action to the importation of such article from beneficiary countries prior to the otherwise scheduled date on which such reduction or termination would occur pursuant to the criteria and procedures of section 204 of the Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 2254]. (1) If a petition is filed with the United States International Trade Commission pursuant to the provisions of section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 2251] regarding a perishable product and alleging injury from imports from beneficiary countries, then the petition may also be filed with the Secretary of Agriculture with a request that emergency relief be granted pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection with respect to such article. (2) Within 14 days after the filing of a petition under paragraph (1) of this subsection— (A) if the Secretary of Agriculture has reason to believe that a perishable product from a beneficiary country is being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury, or the threat thereof, to the domestic industry producing a perishable product like or directly competitive with the imported product and that emergency action is warranted, he shall advise the President and recommend that the President take emergency action; or (B) the Secretary of Agriculture shall publish a notice of his determination not to recommend the imposition of emergency action and so advise the petitioner. (3) Within 7 days after the President receives a recommendation from the Secretary of Agriculture to take emergency action pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection, he shall issue a proclamation withdrawing the duty-free treatment provided by this chapter or publish a notice of his determination not to take emergency action. (4) The emergency action provided by paragraph (3) of this subsection shall cease to apply— (A) upon the taking of action under section 203 of the Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 2253], (B) on the day a determination by the President not to take action under section 203(b)(2) of such Act becomes final, (C) in the event of a report of the United States International Trade Commission containing a negative finding, on the day of the Commission’s report is submitted to the President, or (D) whenever the President determines that because of changed circumstances such relief is no longer warranted. (5) For purposes of this subsection, the term “perishable product” means— (A) live plants and fresh cut flowers provided for in chapter 6 of the HTS; (B) fresh or chilled vegetables provided for in headings 0701 through 0709 (except subheading 0709.52.00) and heading 0714 of the HTS; (C) fresh fruit provided for in subheadings 0804.20 through 0810.90 (except citrons of subheadings 0805.90.00, tamarinds and kiwi fruit of subheading 0810.90.20, and cashew apples, mameyes colorados, sapodillas, soursops and sweetsops of subheading 0810.90.40) of the HTS; or (D) concentrated citrus fruit juice provided for in subheadings 2009.11.00, 2009.19.40, 2009.20.40, 2009.30.20, and 2009.30.60 of the HTS. (e) No proclamation issued pursuant to this chapter shall affect fees imposed pursuant to section 624 of title 7. (f) No quantity of an agricultural product subject to a tariff-rate quota that exceeds the in-quota quantity shall be eligible for duty-free treatment under this chapter.