[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 231 (Friday, December 2, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-29726]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: December 2, 1994]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

 

Establishment of a New Export Visa Arrangement for Certain 
Cotton, Wool, Man-Made Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber 
Textiles and Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Qatar

November 28, 1994.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing 
export visa requirements.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Tallarico, International 
Trade Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, (202) 482-4212.

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).

    The Governments of the United States and Qatar reached agreement, 
effected by exchange of notes dated September 20, 1993 and June 8, 
1994, to establish an export visa arrangement for certain cotton, wool, 
man-made fiber, silk blend and other vegetable fiber textiles and 
textile products, produced or manufactured in Qatar and exported from 
Qatar on and after January 1, 1995. Goods exported during the period 
January 1, 1995 through January 31, 1995 shall not be denied entry for 
lack of a visa. Goods exported after January 31, 1995 must be 
accompanied by an appropriate export visa.
    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 58 FR 62645, published on November 29, 1993).
    A facsimile of the visa stamp for the Government of the State of 
Qatar is on file at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Textiles 
and Apparel, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., room 3104, Washington, 
DC.
    Interested persons are advised to take all necessary steps to 
ensure that textile products that are entered into the United States 
for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, will meet 
the visa requirements set forth in the letter published below to the 
Commissioner of Customs.
Rita D. Hayes,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
November 28, 1994.

Commissioner of Customs,
Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

    Dear Commissioner: Under the terms of section 204 of the 
Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854), and the 
Arrangement Regarding International Trade in Textiles done at Geneva 
on December 20, 1973, as further extended on December 9, 1993; 
pursuant to the Export Visa Arrangement, effected by exchange of 
notes dated September 20, 1993 and June 8, 1994, between the 
Governments of the United States and Qatar; and in accordance with 
the provisions of Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as 
amended, you are directed to prohibit, effective on January 1, 1995, 
entry into the Customs territory of the United States (i.e., the 50 
states, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico) for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption 
of cotton, wool, man-made fiber, silk blend and other vegetable 
fiber textiles and textile products in Categories 200-239, 300-369, 
400-469, 600-670 and 800-899, including part categories and merged 
categories 338/339/638/639, produced or manufactured in Qatar and 
exported from Qatar on and after January 1, 1995 for which the 
Government of Qatar has not issued an appropriate export visa fully 
described below. Should additional categories, merged categories or 
part categories be added to the bilateral agreement, the entire 
category(s) or part category(s) shall be included in the coverage of 
this arrangement on an agreed effective date. Goods exported during 
the period January 1, 1995 through January 31, 1995 shall not be 
denied entry for lack of a visa.
    A visa must accompany each commercial shipment of the 
aforementioned textile products. A circular stamped marking in blue 
ink will appear on the front of the original commercial invoice. The 
original visa shall not be stamped on duplicate copies of the 
invoice. The original invoice with the original visa stamp will be 
required to enter the shipment into the United States. Duplicates of 
the invoice and/or visa may not be used for this purpose.
    Each visa stamp shall include the following information:
    1. The visa number. The visa number shall be in the standard 
nine digit letter format, beginning with one numerical digit for the 
last digit of the year of export, followed by the two character 
alpha country code specified by the International Organization for 
Standardization (ISO)(the code for Qatar is ``QA''), and a six digit 
numerical serial number identifying the shipment; e.g., 5QA123456.
    2. The date of issuance. The date of issuance shall be the day, 
month and year on which the visa was issued.
    3. The signature of the issuing official.
    4. The correct category(s), merged category(s), part 
category(s), quantity(s) and unit(s) of quantity in the shipment as 
set forth in the U.S. Department of Commerce Correlation (e.g., 
``Cat. 340-510 DOZ'').
    Quantities must be stated in whole numbers. Decimals or 
fractions will not be accepted. Merged category quota merchandise 
may be accompanied by either the appropriate merged category visa or 
the correct category visa corresponding to the actual shipment 
(e.g., Categories 347/348 may be visaed as 347/348 or if the 
shipment consists solely of 347 merchandise, the shipment may be 
visaed as ``Cat. 347,'' but not as ``Cat. 348'').
    U.S. Customs shall not permit entry if the shipment does not 
have a visa, or if the visa number, date of issuance, signature, 
category, quantity or units of quantity are missing, incorrect or 
illegible, or have been crossed out or altered in any way. If the 
quantity indicated on the visa is less than that of the shipment, 
entry shall not be permitted. If the quantity indicated on the visa 
is more than that of the shipment, entry shall be permitted and only 
the amount entered shall be charged to any applicable quota.
    The complete name and address of a company actually involved in 
the manufacturing process of the textile product covered by the visa 
shall be provided on the textile visa document.
    If the visa is not acceptable then a new visa must be obtained 
from the Government of Qatar, or a visa waiver may be issued by the 
U.S. Department of Commerce at the request of the Government of 
Qatar, and presented to the U.S. Customs Service before any portion 
of the shipment will be released. The waiver, if used, only waives 
the requirement to present a visa with the shipment. It does not 
waive the quota requirement.
    If import quotas are in force, U.S. Customs Service shall charge 
only the actual quantity in the shipment to the correct category 
limit. If a shipment from Qatar has been allowed entry into the 
commerce of the United States with either an incorrect visa or no 
visa, and redelivery is requested but cannot be made, U.S. Customs 
shall charge the shipment to the correct category limit whether or 
not a replacement visa or visa waiver is provided.
    Merchandise imported for the personal use of the importer and 
not for resale, regardless of value, and properly marked commercial 
sample shipments valued at U.S.$250 or less, do not require a visa 
for entry.
    A facsimile of the visa stamp is enclosed with this letter.
    The actions taken concerning the Government of Qatar with 
respect to imports of textiles and textile products in the foregoing 
categories have been determined by the Committee for the 
Implementation of Textile Agreements to involve foreign affairs 
functions of the United States. Therefore, these directions to the 
Commissioner of Customs, which are necessary for the implementation 
of such actions, fall within the foreign affairs exception to the 
rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1). This letter will be 
published in the Federal Register.
    Sincerely,
Rita D. Hayes,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 94-29726 Filed 12-1-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F