(a) Apparel articles. “Apparel articles” means goods classifiable in Chapters 61 and 62 and headings 6501, 6502, 6504 and subheadings 6406.90.15 and 6505.00.02-6505.00.90, of the HTSUS;

(b) Beneficiary country. “Beneficiary country” means a country listed in section 107 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3706) which has been the subject of a finding by the President or his designee, published in the Federal Register, that the country has satisfied the requirements of section 113 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3722) and which the President has designated as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country under section 506A of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2466a). See U.S. Note 1, Subchapter XIX, Chapter 98, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS);

(c) Cut in one or more beneficiary countries. “Cut in one or more beneficiary countries” when used with reference to apparel articles means that all fabric components used in the assembly of the article were cut from fabric in one or more beneficiary countries, or were cut from fabric in the United States and used in a partial assembly operation in the United States prior to cutting of fabric and final assembly of the article in one or more beneficiary countries, or both;

(d) Ethnic printed fabrics. “Ethnic printed fabrics” means fabrics:

(e) Foreign origin. “Foreign origin” means, in the case of a finding or trimming of non-textile materials, that the finding or trimming is a product of a country other than the United States or a beneficiary country and, in the case of a finding, trimming, or interlining of textile materials, that the finding, trimming, or interlining does not meet all of the United States and beneficiary country or former beneficiary country production requirements for yarns, fabrics, and/or components specified under § 10.213(a) for the article in which it is incorporated;

(f) Former beneficiary country. “Former beneficiary country” means a country that, after being designated by the President as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country under section 506A of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2466a), ceased to be designated as such a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country by reason of its entering into a free trade agreement with the United States;

(g) HTSUS. “HTSUS” means the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States;

(h) Knit-to-shape articles. “Knit-to-shape,” when used with reference to sweaters or other apparel articles, means any apparel article of which 50 percent or more of the exterior surface area is formed by major parts that have been knitted or crocheted directly to the shape used in the apparel article, with no consideration being given to patch pockets, appliques, or the like. Minor cutting, trimming, or sewing of those major parts will not affect the determination of whether an apparel article is “knit-to-shape;”

(i) Knit-to-shape components. “Knit-to-shape,” when used with reference to textile components, means components that are knitted or crocheted from a yarn directly to a specific shape, that is, the shape or form of the component as it is used in the apparel article, containing at least one self-start edge. Minor cutting or trimming will not affect the determination of whether a component is “knit-to-shape;”

(j) Lesser developed beneficiary country. “Lesser developed beneficiary country” means a country that is enumerated in U.S. Note 2(d), Subchapter XIX, Chapter 98, HTSUS and that is also enumerated in U.S. Note 1, Subchapter XIX, Chapter 98, HTSUS. See section 112(c)(3) of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3721(c)(3));

(k) Major parts. “Major parts” means integral components of an apparel article but does not include collars, cuffs, waistbands, plackets, pockets, linings, paddings, trim, accessories, or similar parts or components;

(l) NAFTA. “NAFTA” means the North American Free Trade Agreement entered into by the United States, Canada, and Mexico on December 17, 1992;

(m) Originating. “Originating” means having the country of origin determined by application of the provisions of § 102.21 of this chapter;

(n) Preferential treatment. “Preferential treatment” means entry, or withdrawal from warehouse for consumption, in the customs territory of the United States free of duty and free of any quantitative limitations, as provided in 19 U.S.C. 3721(a);

(o) Self-start edge. “Self-start edge,” when used with reference to knit-to-shape components, means a finished edge which is finished as the component comes off the knitting machine. Several components with finished edges may be linked by yarn or thread as they are produced from the knitting machine;

(p) Sewing thread. “Sewing thread” means thread designed and used for the assembly or hemming of textile or apparel components or articles;

(q) Sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more beneficiary countries. “Sewn or otherwise assembled in one or more beneficiary countries” when used in the context of a textile or apparel article has reference to a joining together of two or more components that occurred in one or more beneficiary countries, whether or not a prior joining operation was performed on the article or any of its components in the United States;

(r) Wholly assembled in. “Wholly assembled,” when used with reference to a textile or apparel article in the context of one or more beneficiary countries or one or more lesser developed beneficiary countries, means that all of the components of the textile or apparel article (including thread, decorative embellishments, buttons, zippers, or similar components) were joined together in one or more beneficiary countries or one or more lesser developed beneficiary countries;

(s) Wholly formed fabrics. “Wholly formed,” when used with reference to fabric(s), means that all of the production processes, starting with polymers, fibers, filaments, textile strips, yarns, twine, cordage, rope, or strips of fabric and ending with a fabric by a weaving, knitting, needling, tufting, felting, entangling or other process, took place in the United States or in one or more beneficiary countries or former beneficiary countries. For purposes of this definition, dyeing, printing and finishing operations are not production processes that involve fabric formation (see § 10.213(b)(1));

(t) Wholly formed on seamless knitting machines. “Wholly formed on seamless knitting machines,” when used to describe apparel articles, has reference to a process that created a knit-to-shape apparel article by feeding yarn(s) into a knitting machine to result in that article. When taken from the knitting machine, an apparel article created by this process either is in its final form or requires only minor cutting or trimming or the addition of minor components or parts such as patch pockets, appliques, capping, or elastic strip; and

(u) Wholly formed yarns. “Wholly formed,” when used with reference to yarns, means that all of the production processes, starting with the extrusion of filament, strip, film, or sheet and including drawing to fully orient a filament, slitting a film or sheet into strip, or the spinning of all fibers into yarn, or both, and ending with a yarn or plied yarn, took place in a single country. For purposes of this definition, dyeing, printing and finishing operations are not production processes that involve yarn formation (see § 10.213(b)(1)).