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OFFICE OF TEXTILES AND APPAREL

The Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) is dedicated to increasing the
international competitiveness of the U.S. fiber, textile, apparel, footwear, and
travel goods industries. We do this by undertaking industry analysis,
contributing to U.S. trade policy development, participating in trade
negotiations and trade promotion, and addressing trade barriers. OTEXA works
with other Department of Commerce units and U.S. agencies in developing a public
policy environment that advances U.S. competitiveness at home and abroad. A key
to the successful efforts of OTEXA and other industry offices is our strong
working relationship with trade associations and individual companies within our
sectors.

OTEXA is led by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods, and
Materials, who also serves as the Chair, of the Committee for the Implementation
of Textile Agreements (CITA), an interagency group responsible for matters
affecting textile trade policy, supervising the implementation of certain
textile and apparel provisions of Free Trade Agreements and preference programs;
and coordinating efforts to combat illegal textile and apparel transshipment.


What We Do



 * Trade Data Publication: Publish comprehensive import and export statistics
   for textiles, apparel, footwear, and travel goods.
   
   
 * Free Trade Agreements: Support the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in
   trade agreement negotiations, representing the interests of the domestic
   fiber, textile, apparel, footwear, and travel goods industries.
   
   
 * Trade Preference Programs: Administer textile and apparel provisions of trade
   preference programs including the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA),
   the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA), and Haiti/HOPE. Under
   AGOA, CBTPA, and Haiti/HOPE, CITA is delegated authority to implement certain
   provisions such as commercial availability, anti-circumvention, and folklore
   and handicraft agreements and to calculate the annual benefit caps.
   
   
 * Commercial Availability: Process requests to determine whether specific
   fibers, yarns, or fabrics are not available in commercial quantities in a
   timely manner from designated trade partner countries. OTEXA, on behalf of
   the Chairman of CITA, processes all such requests and the Chairman makes
   recommendations to CITA, in accordance with the procedures published by CITA.
   
   
 * Export Promotion: Support and maintain an export program that encourages,
   supports, and facilitates export sales of U.S.-made textiles and apparel to
   key overseas markets. The program includes export counseling, participation
   in trade events, and market research designed to identify key export
   opportunities.
   
   
 * Made in U.S.A. Sourcing & Products Directory: Facilitate business-to-business
   (B2B) match-making for the textile, apparel industries, footwear, and travel
   good industries.
   
   
 * Non-Tariff Barriers: Work with ITA colleagues, USTR, and industry
   stakeholders to address foreign market trade barriers that adversely impact
   U.S. exports of textiles, apparel, footwear, and travel goods.
   
   
 * Foreign Trade Zones (FTZs): Make recommendations to the FTZ Board on the
   potential adverse impacts of FTZs covering textile products.
   
   
 * Miscellaneous Tariff Bills (MTBs): Review and make recommendations on
   petitions to temporarily suspend the tariffs on imported textiles, apparel,
   footwear, and travel goods.
   
   
 * Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Textiles and Clothing (ITAC 11):
   Administer the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Textiles and Clothing
   (ITAC 11), responsible for providing trade policy advice to the Secretary of
   Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative.