[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) * * *

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    Executive                           
           Organization               order               Date          
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        
                  *        *        *        *        *                 
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