[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 228 (Monday, November 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59866-59867]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-30047]
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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS
Adjustment of Import Limits and Amendment of Quota and Visa
Requirements for Certain Cotton and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products
Produced or Manufactured in Indonesia
November 19, 1996.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).
ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs adjusting
limits and amending quota and visa requirements.
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EFFECTIVE DATE: December 1, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet Heinzen, International Trade
Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of
Commerce, (202) 482-4212. For information on the quota status of these
limits, refer to the Quota Status Reports posted on the bulletin boards
of each Customs port or call (202) 927-6704. For information on
embargoes and quota re-openings, call (202) 482-3715.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended;
section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C.
1854); Uruguay Round Agreements Act.
In a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated November 1, 1996, the
Governments of the United States and Indonesia agreed that goods
classified in HTS numbers 5516.14.0005, 5516.14.0025, 5516.14.0085
(Category 611), 5408.24.9010, 5408.24.9040 (Category 618); 5408.34.9085
and 5516.24.0085 (Category 629) which are produced or manufactured in
Indonesia and imported on or after December 1, 1996 will no longer be
subject to quota and visa requirements. The new designations for
Categories 611, 618 and 629 will be 611-O, 618-O and 629-O,
respectively.
Also, the two governments agreed to increase the 1996 limits for
Categories 336/636 and 342/642 for special swing, reducing the limit
for Category 618-O to account for the increase.
Effective on December 1, 1996, goods in Categories 611, 618 and
629, produced or manufactured in Indonesia and exported from Indonesia
on or after December 1, 1996 must be accompanied by a 611-O, 618-O or
629-O part-category visa. Goods currently visaed as 625/626/627/628/629
which are exported from Indonesia on or after December 1, 1996 shall be
visaed as merged Categories 625/626/627/628/629-O, or the correct
category or correct part-category corresponding to the actual shipment.
There will be a grace period from December 1, 1996 through December 31,
1996 during which goods exported from Indonesia in Categories 611, 618
and 629 may be accompanied by the whole or new part-category visa.
During the grace period merged Categories 625/626/627/628/629 may be
accompanied by the whole merged category, the new merged part-category
visa, or the correct whole or part category visa corresponding to the
actual shipment.
In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the
Commissioner of Customs to adjust limits and amend export quota and
visa requirements.
A description of the textile and apparel categories in terms of HTS
numbers is available in the CORRELATION: Textile and Apparel Categories
with the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (see Federal
Register notice 60 FR 65299, published on December 19, 1995). Also see
52 FR 20134, published on May 29, 1987; and 60 FR 62410, published on
December 6, 1995.
The letter to the Commissioner of Customs and the actions taken
pursuant to it are not designed to implement all of the provisions of
the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, the Uruguay Round Agreement on
Textiles and Clothing and the November 1, 1996 MOU, but are designed to
assist only in the implementation of certain of their provisions.
D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile
Agreements.
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
November 19, 1996.
Commissioner of Customs,
Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.
Dear Commissioner: This directive amends, but does not cancel,
the directive issued to you on November 30, 1995, by the Chairman,
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That
directive concerns imports of certain cotton, wool, man-made fiber,
silk blend and other vegetable fiber textiles and textile products,
produced or manufactured in Indonesia and exported during the
twelve-month period which began on January 1, 1996 and extends
through December 31, 1996.
Effective on December 1, 1996, goods classified in HTS numbers
5516.14.0005, 5516.14.0025, 5516.14.0085 (Category 611),
5408.24.9010, 5408.24.9040 (Category 618); 5408.34.9085 and
5516.24.0085 (Category 629) which are produced or manufactured in
Indonesia and imported on or after December 1, 1996 will no longer
be subject to quota and visa requirements, pursuant to a Memorandum
of Understanding dated November 1, 1996 between the Governments of
the United States and Indonesia and under the terms of the Uruguay
Round Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and
Clothing. The new designations for Categories 611, 618 and 629 will
be 611-O \1\, 618-O \2\ and 629-O \3\, respectively.
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\1\ Category 611-O: all HTS numbers except 5516.14.0005,
5516.14.0025 and 5516.14.0085.
\2\ Category 618-O: all HTS numbers except 5408.24.9010 and
5408.24.9040.
\3\ Category 629-O: all HTS numbers except 5408.34.9085 and
5516.24.0085.
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Also effective on December 1, 1996, you are directed to adjust
the current limits for the following categories:
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Adjusted twelve-month limit
Category \1\
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Levels in Group I
336/636................................... 615,844 dozen.
342/642................................... 384,088 dozen.
618-O..................................... 1,113,422 square meters.
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\1\ The limits have not been adjusted to account for any imports
exported after December 31, 1995.
Effective on December 1, 1996, you are directed to amend
further, the directive dated May 19, 1987, to require a part-
category visa for Categories 611-O, 618-O and 629-O, produced or
manufactured in Indonesia and exported from Indonesia on or after
December 1, 1996. Goods currently visaed as 625/626/627/628/629
which are exported from Indonesia on or after December 1, 1996 shall
be visaed as merged Categories 625/626/627/628/629-O, or the correct
category or correct part-category corresponding to the actual
shipment. There will be a grace period from December 1, 1996 through
December 31, 1996 during which goods exported from Indonesia in
Categories 611, 618 and 629 may be accompanied by the whole or new
part-category visa. During the grace period goods in merged
Categories 625/626/627/628/629 may be accompanied by the whole
merged category, the new merged part-category visa, or the correct
whole or part category visa corresponding to the actual shipment.
Shipments entered or withdrawn from warehouse according to this
directive which are not accompanied by an appropriate export visa
shall be denied entry and a new visa must be obtained.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has
determined that these actions fall within the foreign affairs
[[Page 59867]]
exception to the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).
D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile
Agreements.
[FR Doc.96-30047 Filed 11-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F
