[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 175 (Monday, September 9, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47476-47477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-22888]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Secretary of Agriculture's Special Cotton Import Quota 
Announcement Number 4

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: A special import quota for upland cotton equal to 43,827,535 
kilograms (96,623,255 pounds) is established in accordance with section 
136(b) of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 
(the 1996 Act) under Presidential Proclamation 6301 of June 7, 1991. 
The quota is referenced as the Secretary of Agriculture's Special 
Cotton Import Quota Announcement Number 4, effective August 12, 1996, 
and is set forth in subheading 9903.52.04, subchapter III, chapter 99 
of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS).

DATES: The quota is effective as of August 12, 1996, and applies to 
upland cotton purchased not later than November 9, 1996 (90 days from 
the date the quota was established), and entered into the United States 
not later than February 7, 1997 (180 days from the date the quota was 
established).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janise Zygmont, Farm Service Agency, 
United States Department of Agriculture, Stop 0515, P.O. Box 2415, 
Washington, DC 20013-2415 or call (202) 720-8841.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 1996 Act requires that a special import 
quota for upland cotton be determined and announced immediately if, for 
any consecutive 10-week period, the Friday through Thursday average 
price quotation for the lowest-priced U.S. growth, as quoted for 
Middling 1\3/32\ inch cotton, C.I.F. northern Europe (U.S. Northern 
Europe price), adjusted for the value of any cotton user marketing 
certificates issued, exceeds the Northern Europe price by more than 
1.25 cents per pound. This condition was met during the consecutive 10-
week period that ended June 27, 1996. Therefore, a quota referenced as 
the Secretary of Agriculture's Special Cotton Import Quota Announcement 
Number 4, effective August 12, 1996, is hereby established.
    Because there are only 20 subheadings available for designating 
upland cotton special import quotas in

[[Page 47477]]

subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTS, only 20 such quotas can be in 
effect at one time. Each subheading corresponds to a Secretary of 
Agriculture's Special Cotton Import Quota Announcement specifying that 
a particular amount of upland cotton may be imported during a 
particular 180-day period. The special import quota described in this 
notice cannot take effect until HTS subheading 9903.52.04 becomes 
available upon the expiration of the Secretary of Agriculture's Special 
Cotton Import Quota Announcement Number 4, effective February 14, 1996, 
through August 11, 1996. Therefore, the special import quota described 
in this notice opens on August 12, 1996, the day after the previous 
special import quota 4 ends.
    The quota amount, 43,827,535 kilograms (96,623,255 pounds), is 
equal to 1 week's consumption of upland cotton by domestic mills at the 
seasonally-adjusted average rate of the most recent 3 months for which 
data are available--March 1996 through May 1996. The special import 
quota identifies a quantity of imports that is not subject to the over-
quota tariff rate of a tariff-rate quota. The quota is not divided by 
staple length or by country of origin. The quota does not affect 
existing tariff rates or phytosanitary regulations. The quota does not 
apply to Extra Long Staple cotton.

    Authority: Sec. 136, Pub.L. 104-127 and U.S. Note 6(a), 
Subchapter III, Chapter 99 of the HTS.

    Signed at Washington, D.C., on August 23, 1996.
Dan Glickman,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-22888 Filed 9-6-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P