17 January 2002

Temporary Duty-Free Status of Tariff Item No. 9931.00.00

The Department of Finance is seeking comment on continuing the temporary duty-free status of tariff item No. 9931.00.00, which reads as follows:

Woven fabrics, of a length not exceeding 160 m, with an ex-factory value of $27.70 or more per square metre, specified or provided by a customer at arm's length for use as outer coverings in the manufacture of that customer's upholstered furniture.

This item is scheduled to become dutiable on March 31, 2002, at which time Most Favoured Nation (MFN) Tariff rates would generally range from 10 per cent to 16 per cent. We are proposing to extend the duty-free treatment for another three years, until March 31, 2005.

Members wishing to comment on this issue should contact Ms. Shezara Ali in Domestic Tariff Affairs, at 613-992-4418, or fax 613-992-6761, by 5 February 2002.