CBP Announces GSP Treatment for Certified "Hand-Loomed and Folklore" Products from Afghanistan
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted a notice to its Web site stating that effective February 25, 2004, hand-loomed fabrics of the cottage industry, hand-made cottage industry products made of hand loomed fabrics and traditional handicraft textile products that are entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after February 25, 2004 are eligible for Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) duty-free treatment provided that proper requirements are met.
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(CBP explains that the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has negotiated a GSP certified hand-loomed and folklore agreement with Afghanistan pursuant to Section XI, Additional U.S. Note (AUSN) 2 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS).)
Specifically, the type of hand-loomed and folklore products that qualify for GSP duty-free treatment are classified under the following HTS numbers, and must be properly certified by the Government of Afghanistan:
| HTS Number | Article Description |
|---|---|
| 5701.10.1300 | carpets and other textile floor coverings, knotted, whether or not made up, of wool or fine animal hair, in which the pile was hand-inserted or hand-knotted during weaving or knitting, with over 50% by weight of the pile being hair of the alpaca, llama, etc. or any combination of these hairs |
| 5702.10.1000 | \"Kelem,\" \"Schumacks,\" \"Karamanie\" and similar hand woven rugs |
| 5702.91.2000 | other carpets and other textile floor coverings, not tufted or flocked, not of pile construction, made up, of wool or fine animal hair, woven, but not made on a power-driven loom |
| 5805.00.2000 | other hand-woven tapestries, etc. and needle-worked tapestries, whether or not made up, of wool or fine animal hair |
| 6304.99.1000 | woven wall hangings of wool or fine animal hair |
| 6304.99.4000 | pillow covers of wool or fine animal hair |
CBP notes that importers who paid duties on these articles that were entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after February 25, 2004, can avail themselves of all the available post entry procedures with the exception of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) 520(d).
Certification for Each Shipment Will Be in the Form of a Triangular Stamp
According to CBP, the certification for each shipment will be in the form of a triangular stamp placed on the invoice. The stamp will include the following: (1) the name, signature, title and department of a government official authorized to issue the certification, (2) the date the certification was signed, and (3) a statement in English that the fabrics or products covered by this certification are either: hand-loomed fabrics of the cottage industry, hand-made cottage industry products made of hand loomed fabrics, or traditional handicraft textile products.
CBP states that the certification requirement may not be waived.
If the certification is not provided at the time of entry, CBP states that the merchandise should be considered dutiable and classified in the alternative tariff schedule provisions for these products.
CBP notice (TBT-04-010, dated 03/08/04) available at http://www.cbp.gov/ImageCache/cgov/content/import/textiles/tbt/tbt2004/tbt_5f04_5f010_2edoc/v1/tbt_5f04_5f010.doc