[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 60 (Tuesday, March 29, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-7264]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: March 29, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[C-542-401]

 

Certain Apparel From Sri Lanka; Proposed Amended Conversion

AGENCY: International Trade Administration/Import Administration, 
Commerce.

ACTION: Certain Apparel from Sri Lanka: Notice of Proposed Amendment to 
the Existing Conversion of the Scope of the Order from the Tariff 
Schedules of the United States Annotated to the Harmonized Tariff 
Schedule.

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SUMMARY: On January 1, 1989, the United States fully converted to the 
international harmonized system of tariff classification. On January 
11, 1989, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published the 
Conversion to Use of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of Classifications 
for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings (54 FR 993; January 
11, 1989) (1989 Conversion) for all antidumping and countervailing duty 
orders in effect or investigations in progress as of January 1, 1989. 
The Department now proposes to amend the 1989 Conversion governing the 
countervailing duty order on certain apparel from Sri Lanka. Interested 
parties are invited to comment on this proposed amended conversion.

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 29, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Martina Tkadlec or Kelly Parkhill, 
Office of Countervailing Compliance, Import Administration, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 
Washington, DC 20230, telephone (202) 482-2786.

Background

    In 1985, the Department issued a countervailing duty order on 
Certain Apparel from Sri Lanka (C-542-401) (50 FR 9826; March 12, 
1985). The scope of this order was originally defined solely in terms 
of the Tariff Schedules of the United States Annotated (TSUSA) item 
numbers; no narrative product description was provided. On January 1, 
1989, the United States fully converted from the TSUSA to the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS). Section 1211 of the Omnibus Trade and 
Competitiveness Act of 1988 directed the Department to ``take whatever 
actions are necessary to conform, to the fullest extent practicable, 
with the tariff classification system of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule 
[for] all * * * orders * * *'' in effect at the time of the 
implementation of the HTS.
    Accordingly, on January 11, 1989, after reviewing comments received 
from the public, the Department published the 1989 Conversion for all 
antidumping and countervailing duty orders in effect or investigations 
in progress as of January 1, 1989 (54 FR 993). The notice also included 
the conversion of the scope of the referenced apparel order from TSUSA 
to HTS item numbers. The 1989 Conversion was based on a one-to-one 
correspondence of the TSUSA and HTS item numbers. In the notice, the 
Department stated that the conversion could be amended, as warranted, 
at any time during the applicable proceeding as a result of the 
submission of comments or new factual information.
    As a result of comments submitted to the Department by the 
importing public and advice received from the U.S. Customs Service, the 
Department has determined that the 1989 Conversion did not accurately 
reflect the scope of the Certain Apparel from Sri Lanka order and, 
therefore, that the conversion should be amended.
    To rectify the problems in the 1989 Conversion, the Department, 
with the assistance of the U.S. Customs Service and the U.S. 
International Trade Commission, has once again compared the TSUSA-
defined scope and the HTS-defined scope provided by the 1989 
Conversion, and identified those HTS numbers that more reasonably 
correspond with the TSUSA-defined scope of the Certain Apparel from Sri 
Lanka countervailing duty order. A new proposed amended conversion is 
found in the attached appendix.

Request for Public Comments

    We invite interested parties to submit comments on the proposed 
amended conversion within 30 days of the publication of this notice. 
All comments must be in writing (10 copies), addressed to the attention 
of the Director, Office of Countervailing Compliance, International 
Trade Administration, IA Central Record Unit, room B-099, 14th Street 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230.

    Dated: March 22, 1994.
Joseph A. Spetrini
Acting Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.

Appendix: Proposed Amended HTS List for Certain Apparel From Sri Lanka 
(C-542-401)

    *Coverage limited to garments that would be covered by this order 
if separately entered.
    Coverage excludes garments having embroidery or permanently 
affixed applique work on the outer surface.
[FR Doc. 94-7264 Filed 3-28-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P