§ 10.213 - Articles eligible for preferential treatment.

§ 10.213 Articles eligible for preferential treatment.

(a) General. The preferential treatment referred to in § 10.211 applies to the following textile and apparel articles that are imported directly into the customs territory of the United States from a beneficiary country:

(1) Apparel articles sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more beneficiary countries from fabrics wholly formed and cut, or from components knit-to shape, in the United States, from yarns wholly formed in the United States, or both (including fabrics not formed from yarns, if those fabrics are classifiable under heading 5602 or 5603 of the HTSUS and are wholly formed and cut in the United States) that are entered under subheading 9802.00.80 of the HTSUS;

(2) Apparel articles sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more beneficiary countries from fabrics wholly formed and cut, or from components knit-to-shape, in the United States, from yarns wholly formed in the United States, or both (including fabrics not formed from yarns, if those fabrics are classifiable under heading 5602 or 5603 of the HTSUS and are wholly formed and cut in the United States) that are entered under Chapter 61 or 62 of the HTSUS, if, after that assembly, the articles would have qualified for entry under subheading 9802.00.80 of the HTSUS but for the fact that the articles were embroidered or subjected to stone-washing, enzyme-washing, acid washing, perma-pressing, oven-baking, bleaching, garment-dyeing, screen printing, or other similar processes in a beneficiary country;

(3) Apparel articles sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more beneficiary countries with sewing thread formed in the United States from fabrics wholly formed in the United States and cut in one or more beneficiary countries from yarns wholly formed in the United States, or from components knit-to-shape in the United States from yarns wholly formed in the United States, or both (including fabrics not formed from yarns, if those fabrics are classified under heading 5602 or 5603 of the HTSUS and are wholly formed in the United States);

(4) Apparel articles wholly assembled in one or more beneficiary countries from fabric wholly formed in one or more beneficiary countries from yarns originating in the United States or one or more beneficiary countries or former beneficiary countries, or both (including fabrics not formed from yarns, if those fabrics are classifiable under heading 5602 or 5603 of the HTSUS and are wholly formed in one or more beneficiary countries), or from components knit-to-shape in one or more beneficiary countries from yarns originating in the United States or one or more beneficiary countries or former beneficiary countries, or both, or apparel articles wholly formed on seamless knitting machines in a beneficiary country from yarns originating in the United States or one or more beneficiary countries or former beneficiary countries, or both, whether or not the apparel articles are also made from any of the fabrics, fabric components formed, or components knit-to-shape described in paragraph (a)(1), (2) or (3) of this section (unless the apparel articles are made exclusively from any of the fabrics, fabric components formed, or components knit-to-shape described in paragraph (a)(1), (2), or (3) of this section), subject to the applicable quantitative limit published in the Federal Register pursuant to U.S. Note 2, Subchapter XIX, Chapter 98, HTSUS;

(5) Apparel articles wholly assembled, or knit to shape and wholly assembled, or both, in one or more lesser developed beneficiary countries regardless of the country of origin of the fabric or the yarn used to make the articles, subject to the applicable quantitative limit published in the Federal Register pursuant to U.S. Note 2, Subchapter XIX, Chapter 98, HTSUS;

(6) Sweaters, in chief weight of cashmere, knit-to-shape in one or more beneficiary countries and classifiable under subheading 6110.12 of the HTSUS;

(7) Sweaters, containing 50 percent or more by weight of wool measuring 21.5 microns in diameter or finer, knit-to-shape in one or more beneficiary countries;

(8) Apparel articles, other than brassieres classifiable under subheading 6212.10, HTSUS, that are both cut (or knit-to-shape) and sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more beneficiary countries, provided that the apparel articles would be considered an originating good under General Note 12(t) HTSUS, without regard to the source of the fabric or yarn of which the articles are made, if the apparel articles had been imported directly from Canada or Mexico;

(9) Apparel articles that are both cut (or knit-to-shape) and sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more beneficiary countries from fabrics or yarn that the President or his designee has designated in the Federal Register as not available in commercial quantities in the United States;

(10) A handloomed, handmade, or folklore article or an ethnic printed fabric of a beneficiary country or countries that is certified as a handloomed, handmade, or folklore article or an ethnic printed fabric by the competent authority of the beneficiary country or countries, provided that the President or his designee has determined that the article in question will be treated as being a handloomed, handmade, or folklore article or an ethnic printed fabric;

(11) Apparel articles sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more beneficiary countries with sewing thread formed in the United States:

(i) From components cut in the United States and one or more beneficiary countries or former beneficiary countries from fabric wholly formed in the United States from yarns wholly formed in the United States (including fabrics not formed from yarns, if those fabrics are classifiable under heading 5602 or 5603 of the HTSUS);

(ii) From components knit-to-shape in the United States and one or more beneficiary countries or former beneficiary countries from yarns wholly formed in the United States; or

(iii) From any combination of two or more of the cutting or knitting-to-shape operations described in paragraph (a)(11)(i) or paragraph (a)(11)(ii) of this section; and

(12) Textile and textile articles classifiable under Chapters 50 through 60 or Chapter 63 of the HTSUS that are products of a lesser developed beneficiary country and are wholly formed in one or more such countries from fibers, yarns, fabrics, fabric components, or components knit-to-shape that are the product of one or more such countries.

(b) Dyeing, printing, finishing and other operations - —

(1) Dyeing, printing and finishing operations. Dyeing, printing and other finishing operations do not constitute part of a yarn or fabric or component formation process. Those operations may be performed on any yarn (including sewing thread) or fabric or knit-to-shape or other component used in the production of any article described under paragraph (a) of this section without affecting the eligibility of the article for preferential treatment, provided that the operation is performed in the United States or in a beneficiary country and not in any other country. However, in the case of an assembled article described in paragraph (a)(1) or (2) of this section, a dyeing, printing or other finishing operation may be performed in a beneficiary country without affecting the eligibility of the article for preferential treatment only if that operation is incidental to the assembly process.

(2) Other operations. An article described under paragraph (a) of this section that is otherwise eligible for preferential treatment will not be disqualified from receiving that treatment by virtue of having undergone one or more operations such as embroidering, stone-washing, enzyme-washing, acid washing, perma-pressing, oven-baking, bleaching, garment-dyeing or screen printing, provided that the operation is performed in the United States or in a beneficiary country and not in any other country. However, in the case of an assembled article described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, an operation may be performed in a beneficiary country without affecting the eligibility of the article for preferential treatment only if it is incidental to the assembly process.

(c) Special rules for certain component materials - —

(1) General. An article otherwise described under paragraph (a) of this section will not be ineligible for the preferential treatment referred to in § 10.211 because the article contains:

(i) Findings and trimmings of foreign origin, if the value of those findings and trimmings does not exceed 25 percent of the cost of the components of the assembled article. For purposes of this section “findings and trimmings” include, but are not limited to, hooks and eyes, snaps, buttons, “bow buds,” decorative lace trim, elastic strips (but only if they are each less than 1 inch in width and are used in the production of brassieres), zippers (including zipper tapes), labels, and sewing thread except in the case of an article described in paragraph (a)(3) of this section;

(ii) Interlinings of foreign origin, if the value of those interlinings does not exceed 25 percent of the cost of the components of the assembled article. For purposes of this section “interlinings” include only a chest type plate, a “hymo” piece, or “sleeve header,” of woven or weft-inserted warp knit construction and of coarse animal hair or man-made filaments;

(iii) Any combination of findings and trimmings of foreign origin and interlinings of foreign origin, if the total value of those findings and trimmings and interlinings does not exceed 25 percent of the cost of the components of the assembled article;

(iv) Fibers or yarns not wholly formed in the United States or one or more beneficiary countries or former beneficiary countries if the total weight of all those fibers and yarns is not more than 10 percent of the total weight of the article; or

(v) Any collars or cuffs (cut or knit-to-shape), drawstrings, shoulder pads or other padding, waistbands, belt attached to the article, straps containing elastic, or elbow patches that do not meet the requirements set forth in paragraph (a) of this section, regardless of the country of origin of the applicable component referred to in this paragraph.

(2) “Cost” and “value” defined. The “cost” of components and the “value” of findings and trimmings or interlinings referred to in paragraph (c)(1) of this section means:

(i) The ex-factory price of the components, findings and trimmings or interlinings as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents, or, if the price is other than ex-factory, the price as set out in the invoice or other commercial documents adjusted to arrive at an ex-factory price; or

(ii) If the price cannot be determined under paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section or if that price is unreasonable, all reasonable expenses incurred in the growth, production, manufacture or other processing of the components, findings and trimmings, or interlinings, including the cost or value of materials and general expenses, plus a reasonable amount for profit.

(3) Treatment of fibers and yarns as findings or trimmings. If any fibers or yarns not wholly formed in the United States or one or more beneficiary countries are used in an article as a finding or trimming described in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section, the fibers or yarns will be considered to be a finding or trimming for purposes of paragraph (c)(1) of this section.

(d) Imported directly defined. For purposes of paragraph (a) of this section, the words “imported directly” mean:

(1) Direct shipment from any beneficiary country to the United States without passing through the territory of any non-beneficiary country;

(2) If the shipment is from any beneficiary country to the United States through the territory of any non-beneficiary country, the articles in the shipment do not enter into the commerce of any non-beneficiary country while en route to the United States and the invoices, bills of lading, and other shipping documents show the United States as the final destination; or

(3) If the shipment is from any beneficiary country to the United States through the territory of any non-beneficiary country, and the invoices and other documents do not show the United States as the final destination, the articles in the shipment upon arrival in the United States are imported directly only if they:

(i) Remained under the control of the customs authority of the intermediate country;

(ii) Did not enter into the commerce of the intermediate country except for the purpose of sale other than at retail, and the port Center director is satisfied that the importation results from the original commercial transaction between the importer and the producer or the producer's sales agent; and

(iii) Were not subjected to operations other than loading or unloading, and other activities necessary to preserve the articles in good condition.