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U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement: Potential Economy-wide ... - USITC

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said <strong>Korea</strong> is one of the fastest-growing import markets for travel goods, with imports of<br />

such goods rising by 65 percent during the years 2004 to 2006 to $545 million. 357<br />

Views of Interested Parties<br />

In its report, the ITAC on Textiles and Clothing (ITAC 13) stated that its members did not<br />

make a unified statement in support of or in opposition to the FTA. 358 The report stated that<br />

members of footwear companies support the FTA because the rules of origin reflect their<br />

priorities—the 17 sensitive rubber footwear articles receive a “NAFTA style” rule of origin<br />

and a long, nonlinear duty phaseout, while all other footwear articles receive much more<br />

flexible rules of origin and immediate duty-free treatment. The report noted that members<br />

of the travel goods companies support the FTA because the agreement provides immediate<br />

and reciprocal duty-free treatment and flexible rules of origin for all textile and nontextile<br />

travel goods.<br />

The Travel Goods Association (TGA), a trade association representing manufacturers,<br />

distributors, retailers, promoters, sales representatives, and suppliers of luggage and other<br />

related products, stated in a written submission to the Commission that it supports the FTA<br />

because the agreement would grant immediate and reciprocal duty-free entry to both textile<br />

and nontextile travel goods under flexible rules of origin. 359 TGA added that incorporating<br />

these rules into an FTA with a major trading partner like <strong>Korea</strong>, one of the fastest-growing<br />

markets for imported travel goods, will make the FTA a “landmark agreement” for the U.S.<br />

travel goods industry and be of potential benefit to the domestic industry.<br />

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), the national association of the<br />

apparel and footwear industries and their suppliers, stated in a written submission to the<br />

Commission that the FTA’s flexible and forward-looking footwear and travel goods<br />

provisions should provide new opportunities to grow the once significant, but declining,<br />

footwear and travel goods trade between the United States and <strong>Korea</strong>. 360 AAFA noted that<br />

the FTA rules of origin will not only help stem the decline in footwear and travel goods trade<br />

between the United States and <strong>Korea</strong>, but also provide a mechanism to rebuild this vital<br />

relationship. AAFA added that the FTA will have a negligible impact on the individual<br />

sectors that it represents.<br />

The Rubber and Plastic Footwear Manufacturers Association (RPFMA), 361 a trade<br />

association representing the principal domestic producers of protective footwear and rubbersole,<br />

fabric-upper footwear, stated in a written submission to the Commission that it is<br />

“satisfied” with the phaseout schedule under the FTA for U.S. tariffs on the core products<br />

356 (...continued)<br />

Database.<br />

357 Pittenger, written submission to the <strong>USITC</strong>, June 27, 2007; and Global <strong>Trade</strong> Information Services,<br />

World <strong>Trade</strong> Atlas Database.<br />

358 ITAC (13) on Textiles and Clothing, Advisory Committee Report, April 27, 2007.<br />

359 Pittenger, written submission to the <strong>USITC</strong>, June 27, 2007.<br />

360 Lamar, “Re: U.S. International <strong>Trade</strong> Commission Inv. No. TA-2104-24 (May 7, 2007)–U.S.-<strong>Korea</strong><br />

<strong>Free</strong> <strong>Trade</strong> <strong>Agreement</strong>,” written submission to the <strong>USITC</strong>, June 27, 2007.<br />

361 Cooper (counsel), written submission to the <strong>USITC</strong> on behalf of the Rubber and Plastic Footwear<br />

Manufacturers Assoc., May 23, 2007.<br />

3-63

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