A bill to include shoulder pads as a finding or trimming for the purposes of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, and the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, and for other purposes.
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (25 Apr 2002): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
What this bill does
S. 2257 would amend two existing trade laws, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), to add "shoulder pads" to the list of items classified as "findings or trimmings." In each law, the bill inserts "shoulder pads" into the existing list that already includes items such as "snaps." This is a technical, narrow change to how certain garment components are categorized under U.S. trade preference programs.
The classification matters because these two laws grant preferential tariff treatment to eligible apparel imported from African and Caribbean Basin countries, provided the garments meet certain requirements about where materials are sourced. Findings and trimmings—small components like buttons, snaps, and now shoulder pads—are generally allowed to come from outside the beneficiary countries without disqualifying the garment from preferential treatment. By adding shoulder pads to this category, the bill would affect apparel manufacturers, exporters in AGOA- and CBERA-eligible countries, and U.S. importers of clothing containing shoulder pads, potentially easing sourcing rules for that component.
The bill was introduced by Senator Arlen Specter on April 25, 2002, during the 107th Congress, and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance. According to available records, it did not receive a vote and did not advance further before that Congress ended.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Amends the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act to include shoulder pads as a finding or trimming of foreign origin which will not make an article otherwise eligible for preferential treatment under such Acts ineligible, as long as the value of such shoulder pads does not exceed 25 percent of the cost of the components of the assembled article.
Timeline
25 Apr 2002
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Common questions
- What does S. 2257 do?
- S. 2257 would amend two existing trade laws, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), to add "shoulder pads" to the list of items classified as "findings or trimmings." In each law, the bill inserts "shoulder pads" into the existing list that already includes items such as "snaps." This is a technical, narrow change to how certain garment components are categorized under U.S. trade preference programs. The classification matters because these two laws grant preferential tariff treatment to eligible apparel imported from African and Caribbean Basin countries, provided the garments meet certain requirements about where materials are sourced. Findings and trimmings—small components like buttons, snaps, and now shoulder pads—are generally allowed to come from outside the beneficiary countries without disqualifying the garment from preferential treatment. By adding shoulder pads to this category, the bill would affect apparel manufacturers, exporters in AGOA- and CBERA-eligible countries, and U.S. importers of clothing containing shoulder pads, potentially easing sourcing rules for that component. The bill was introduced by Senator Arlen Specter on April 25, 2002, during the 107th Congress, and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance. According to available records, it did not receive a vote and did not advance further before that Congress ended.
- Has S. 2257 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for S. 2257. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored S. 2257?
- S. 2257 was sponsored by Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA] (R-PA), with 0 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on S. 2257?
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (25 Apr 2002).
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