[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 205 (Tuesday, October 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54757-54758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-26966]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Special Upland Cotton Import Quota; Announcement Number 12

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: A special import quota for upland cotton equal to 44,403,388 
kilograms (97,892,793 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 12, effective November 16, 
1996, and is set forth in subheading 9903.52.12, subchapter III, 
chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(HTS).

DATES: The quota is effective as of November 16, 1996, and applies to 
upland cotton purchased not later than February 13, 1997 (90 days from 
the date the quota is established), and entered into the United States 
not later than May 14, 1997 (180 days from the date the quota is 
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 August 22, 1996. Therefore, a quota referenced 
as the Secretary of Agriculture's Special Cotton Import Quota 
Announcement Number 12, effective November 16, 1996, is hereby 
established.
    Because there are only 20 subheadings available for designating 
upland cotton special import quotas in subchapter III of chapter 99 of 
the HTS, only 20 such quotas can be in effect at

[[Page 54758]]

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 9903.52.12 becomes available upon the 
expiration of the Secretary of Agriculture's Special Cotton Import 
Quota Announcement Number 12, effective May 20, 1996, through November 
15, 1996. Therefore, the special import quota described in this notice 
opens on November 16, 1996, the day after the previous special import 
quota 12 ends.
    The quota amount, 44,403,388 kilograms (97,892,793 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--May 1996 through July 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, P.L. 104-127 and U.S. Note 6(a), Subchapter 
III, Chapter 99 of the HTS.

    Signed at Washington, D.C., on October 15, 1996.
Dan Glickman,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-26966 Filed 10-21-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P