[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 22 (Thursday, February 1, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 3569-3571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-1991]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
19 CFR Part 148
[T.D. 96-13]
Changes to Customs List of Designated Public International
Organizations
AGENCY: Customs Service, Treasury.
[[Page 3570]]
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: This document amends the Customs Regulations by updating
Customs list of designated public international organizations entitled
to certain free entry privileges provided for under provisions of the
International Organizations Immunities Act. The last time the list was
updated was in 1993 and since then the President has issued several
Executive Orders which designate certain organizations as entitled to
this free entry privilege. Accordingly, Customs deems it appropriate to
update the list at this time.
EFFECTIVE DATE: February 1, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis Sequeira, Director,
International Organizations & Agreements Division, Office of
International Affairs, (202) 927-1480.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The International Organizations Immunities Act, 22 U.S.C. 288,
generally provides that certain international organizations, agencies,
and committees, those in which the United States participates or
otherwise has an interest and which have been designated by the
President through appropriate Executive Order as public international
organizations, are entitled to enjoy certain privileges, exemptions,
and immunities conferred by the Act. The Department of State lists the
public international organizations, designated by the President as
entitled to enjoy any measure of the privileges, exemptions, and
immunities conferred by the Act, in the notes following the provisions
of Section 288.
One of the privileges provided for under the Act is that the
baggage and effects of alien officers, employees, and representatives--
and their families, suites, and servants--to the designated
organization, are admitted free of duty and without entry. Those
designated organizations entitled to this duty-free entry privilege are
delineated at Sec. 148.87(b), Customs Regulations (19 CFR 148.87(b)).
Thus, the list of public international organizations maintained by
Customs is for the limited purpose of identifying those organizations
entitled to the duty-free entry privilege; it does not necessarily
include all of the international organizations that are on the list
maintained by the Department of State, which delineates all of the
international organizations designated by the President regardless of
the extent of the privileges conferred.
Since the last revision of Sec. 148.87(b) in 1993 (T.D. 93-45),
four Executive Orders have been issued designating certain
organizations as public international organizations. Collectively,
these Executive Orders add 7 international organizations to Customs
list of public international organizations entitled to the duty-free
entry privilege--bringing the total of designated international
organizations to 68, as follows:
1. Executive Order 12842 of March 29, 1993, 58 FR 17081, 3 CFR 1993
Comp., p. 592, 29 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 505, designated the
International Development Law Institute;
2. Executive Order 12894 of January 26, 1994, 59 FR 4237, 3 CFR
1994 Comp., p. 857, 30 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 159, designated the
North Pacific Marine Science Organization;
3. Executive Order 12895 of January 26, 1994, 50 FR 4237, 3 CFR
1994 Comp., p. 857, 30 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 159, designated the
North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission; and
4. Executive Order 12904 of March 16, 1994, 59 FR 13179, 3 CFR 1994
Comp., p. 880, 30 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 550, designated the
Commission for Environmental Cooperation, the Commission for Labor
Cooperation, the Border Environment Cooperation Commission, and the
North American Development Bank pursuant to the North American Free
Trade Agreement Implementation Act.
Inapplicability of Public Notice and Comment Requirements, Delayed
Effective Date Requirements, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and
Executive Order 12866
Because this amendment merely corrects the listing of designated
organizations entitled by law to free entry privileges as public
international organizations, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), good cause
exists for dispensing with notice and public procedure thereon as
unnecessary. For the same reason, good cause exists for dispensing with
a delayed effective date under 5 U.S.C. 553(d) (1) and (3). Since this
document is not subject to the notice and public procedure requirements
of 5 U.S.C. 553, it is not subject to provisions of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). This document does not meet the
criteria for a ``significant regulatory action'' as specified in E.O.
12866.
Drafting Information
The principal author of this document was Gregory R. Vilders,
Attorney, Regulations Branch, Office of Regulations and Rulings.
List of Subjects in 19 CFR Part 148
Foreign officials, Government employees, International
organizations, Privileges and immunities, Taxes.
Amendment to the Regulations
For the reasons stated above, part 148, Customs Regulations (19 CFR
part 148), is amended as set forth below:
PART 148--PERSONAL DECLARATIONS AND EXEMPTIONS
1. The general authority citation for part 148 is revised to read
as follows:
Authority: 19 U.S.C. 66, 1496, 1498, 1624. The provisions of
this part, except for subpart C, are also issued under 19 U.S.C.
1202 (General Note 20, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United
States);
* * * * *
2. Section 148.87(b) is amended by adding the following, in
appropriate alphabetical order, to the table, to read as follows:
Sec. 148.87 Officers and employees of, and representatives to, public
international organizations.
* * * * *
(b) * * *
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Executive
Organization order Date
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* * * * *
Border Environmental Cooperation 12904 Mar. 16, 1994.
Commission.
* * * * *
Commission for Environmental 12904 Mar. 16, 1994.
Cooperation.
* * * * *
Commission for Labor Cooperation.. 12904 Mar. 16, 1994.
* * * * *
International Development Law 12842 Mar. 29, 1993.
Institute.
* * * * *
North American Development Bank... 12904 Mar. 16, 1994.
* * * * *
North Pacific Anadromous Fish 12895 Jan. 26, 1994.
Commission.
* * * * *
North Pacific Marine Science 12894 Jan. 26, 1994.
Organization.
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[[Page 3571]]
* * * * *
George J. Weise,
Commissioner of Customs.
Approved: December 22, 1995.
John P. Simpson,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
[FR Doc. 96-1991 Filed 1-31-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4820-02-P
