[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 164 (Thursday, August 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43396-43397]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-21398]
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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS
Announcing Settlement on Import Limits and Guaranteed Access
Levels and Adjusting an Import Limit for Certain Cotton and Man-Made
Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in El Salvador
August 16, 1996.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).
ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs amending
restraint period and limit, adjusting limit and announcing signing of
ITA-370P form.
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EFFECTIVE DATE: August 23, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Aldrich, 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) 927-5850. 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 July 18, 1996, the
Governments of the United States and El Salvador agreed, pursuant to
the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC), to
establish limits for Categories 342/642 for a three-year term--March
29, 1996 through December 31, 1996; January 1, 1997 through December
31, 1997; January 1, 1998 through December 31, 1998; and January 1,
1999 through March 28, 1999. The two governments also agreed to
establish Guaranteed Access Levels (GALs) for Categories 342/642 for
the periods January 1, 1997 through December 31, 1997; January 1, 1998
through December 31, 1998; and January 1, 1999 through March 28, 1999.
In a separate MOU dated July 18, 1996, the two governments agreed
to increase the base level for Categories 352/652 for the period
January 1, 1996 through December 31, 1996.
Beginning on August 23, 1996, the U.S. Customs Service will start
signing the first section of the form ITA-370P for shipments of U.S.
formed and cut parts in Categories 342/642 that are destined for El
Salvador and subject to the GAL established for Categories 342/642 for
the period beginning on January 1, 1997 and extending through December
31, 1997. These products are governed by Harmonized Tariff item number
9802.00.80.8015 and chapter 61 Statistical Note 5 and chapter 62
Statistical Note 3 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Interested
parties should be aware that shipments of cut parts in Categories 342/
642 must be accompanied by a form ITA-370P, signed by a U.S. Customs
officer, prior to export from the United States for assembly in El
Salvador in order to qualify for entry under the Special Access
Program.
In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the
Commissioner of Customs to amend the restraint period for Categories
342/642
[[Page 43397]]
to end on December 31, 1996 at an increased level and to increase the
1996 limit for Categories 352/652. In addition, U.S. Customs Service is
being directed to start signing the ITA-370P form for shipments of U.S.
formed and cut parts in Categories 342/642 that are destined for El
Salvador and re-exported to the United States on and after January 1,
1997.
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
60 FR 65296, published on December 19, 1995; 61 FR 34492, published on
July 2, 1996.
Requirements for participation in the Special Access Program are
available in Federal Register notices 51 FR 21208, published on June
11, 1986; 52 FR 26057, published on July 10, 1987; 54 FR 50425,
published on December 6, 1989; and 60 FR 2740, published on January 11,
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 and the Uruguay Round Agreement on
Textiles and Clothing, but are designed to assist only in the
implementation of certain of their provisions.
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
August 16, 1996.
Commissioner of Customs,
Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.
Dear Commissioner: This directive amends, but does not cancel,
the directives issued to you on December 13, 1995 and June 26, 1996,
by the Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile
Agreements. Those directives concern imports of certain cotton and
man-made fiber textile products, produced or manufactured in El
Salvador and exported during the periods January 1, 1996 through
December 31, 1996, in the case of Categories 352/652; and March 29,
1996 through March 28, 1997, in the case of Categories 342/642.
Effective on August 23, 1996, you are directed to amend the
restraint period for Categories 342/642 to end on December 31, 1996
and increase the limit for Categories 352/652, as provided for under
Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) dated July 18, 1996 between the
Governments of the United States and El Salvador, the Uruguay Round
Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and
Clothing (ATC), as follows:
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Category Adjusted limit \1\
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342/642................................... 500,000 dozen.
352/652................................... 8,103,774 dozen.
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\1\ The limits have not been adjusted to account for any imports
exported after March 28, 1995 (Categories 342/642) and December 31,
1995 (Categories 352/652).
Beginning on August 23, 1996, the U.S. Customs Service is
directed to start signing the first section of the form ITA-370P for
shipments of U.S. formed and cut parts in Categories 342/642 that
are destined for El Salvador and re-exported to the United States on
and after January 1, 1997.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has
determined that these actions fall within the foreign affairs
exception of the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).
Sincerely,
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 96-21398 Filed 8-21-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F