[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 228 (Monday, November 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59866-59867]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-30047]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Adjustment of Import Limits and Amendment of Quota and Visa 
Requirements for Certain Cotton and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products 
Produced or Manufactured in Indonesia

November 19, 1996.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs adjusting 
limits and amending quota and visa requirements.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: December 1, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet Heinzen, 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) 927-6704. 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 November 1, 1996, the 
Governments of the United States and Indonesia agreed that goods 
classified in HTS numbers 5516.14.0005, 5516.14.0025, 5516.14.0085 
(Category 611), 5408.24.9010, 5408.24.9040 (Category 618); 5408.34.9085 
and 5516.24.0085 (Category 629) which are produced or manufactured in 
Indonesia and imported on or after December 1, 1996 will no longer be 
subject to quota and visa requirements. The new designations for 
Categories 611, 618 and 629 will be 611-O, 618-O and 629-O, 
respectively.
    Also, the two governments agreed to increase the 1996 limits for 
Categories 336/636 and 342/642 for special swing, reducing the limit 
for Category 618-O to account for the increase.
    Effective on December 1, 1996, goods in Categories 611, 618 and 
629, produced or manufactured in Indonesia and exported from Indonesia 
on or after December 1, 1996 must be accompanied by a 611-O, 618-O or 
629-O part-category visa. Goods currently visaed as 625/626/627/628/629 
which are exported from Indonesia on or after December 1, 1996 shall be 
visaed as merged Categories 625/626/627/628/629-O, or the correct 
category or correct part-category corresponding to the actual shipment. 
There will be a grace period from December 1, 1996 through December 31, 
1996 during which goods exported from Indonesia in Categories 611, 618 
and 629 may be accompanied by the whole or new part-category visa. 
During the grace period merged Categories 625/626/627/628/629 may be 
accompanied by the whole merged category, the new merged part-category 
visa, or the correct whole or part category visa corresponding to the 
actual shipment.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to adjust limits and amend export quota and 
visa requirements.
    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 
52 FR 20134, published on May 29, 1987; and 60 FR 62410, published on 
December 6, 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, the Uruguay Round Agreement on 
Textiles and Clothing and the November 1, 1996 MOU, but are designed to 
assist only in the implementation of certain of their provisions.
D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
November 19, 1996.

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

    Dear Commissioner: This directive amends, but does not cancel, 
the directive issued to you on November 30, 1995, by the Chairman, 
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That 
directive concerns imports of certain cotton, wool, man-made fiber, 
silk blend and other vegetable fiber textiles and textile products, 
produced or manufactured in Indonesia and exported during the 
twelve-month period which began on January 1, 1996 and extends 
through December 31, 1996.
    Effective on December 1, 1996, goods classified in HTS numbers 
5516.14.0005, 5516.14.0025, 5516.14.0085 (Category 611), 
5408.24.9010, 5408.24.9040 (Category 618); 5408.34.9085 and 
5516.24.0085 (Category 629) which are produced or manufactured in 
Indonesia and imported on or after December 1, 1996 will no longer 
be subject to quota and visa requirements, pursuant to a Memorandum 
of Understanding dated November 1, 1996 between the Governments of 
the United States and Indonesia and under the terms of the Uruguay 
Round Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and 
Clothing. The new designations for Categories 611, 618 and 629 will 
be 611-O \1\, 618-O \2\ and 629-O \3\, respectively.
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    \1\ Category 611-O: all HTS numbers except 5516.14.0005, 
5516.14.0025 and 5516.14.0085.
    \2\ Category 618-O: all HTS numbers except 5408.24.9010 and 
5408.24.9040.
    \3\ Category 629-O: all HTS numbers except 5408.34.9085 and 
5516.24.0085.
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    Also effective on December 1, 1996, you are directed to adjust 
the current limits for the following categories:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Adjusted twelve-month limit
                 Category                                \1\            
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Levels in Group I                                                       
336/636...................................  615,844 dozen.              
342/642...................................  384,088 dozen.              
618-O.....................................  1,113,422 square meters.    
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\1\ The limits have not been adjusted to account for any imports        
  exported after December 31, 1995.                                     

    Effective on December 1, 1996, you are directed to amend 
further, the directive dated May 19, 1987, to require a part-
category visa for Categories 611-O, 618-O and 629-O, produced or 
manufactured in Indonesia and exported from Indonesia on or after 
December 1, 1996. Goods currently visaed as 625/626/627/628/629 
which are exported from Indonesia on or after December 1, 1996 shall 
be visaed as merged Categories 625/626/627/628/629-O, or the correct 
category or correct part-category corresponding to the actual 
shipment. There will be a grace period from December 1, 1996 through 
December 31, 1996 during which goods exported from Indonesia in 
Categories 611, 618 and 629 may be accompanied by the whole or new 
part-category visa. During the grace period goods in merged 
Categories 625/626/627/628/629 may be accompanied by the whole 
merged category, the new merged part-category visa, or the correct 
whole or part category visa corresponding to the actual shipment.
    Shipments entered or withdrawn from warehouse according to this 
directive which are not accompanied by an appropriate export visa 
shall be denied entry and a new visa must be obtained.
    The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has 
determined that these actions fall within the foreign affairs

[[Page 59867]]

exception to the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).
D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.
[FR Doc.96-30047 Filed 11-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F