[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 229 (Tuesday, November 26, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60086-60087]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-30171]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Office of the Secretary


Secretary of Agriculture's Special Cotton Import Quota 
Announcement Number 17

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: A special import quota for upland cotton equal to 44,983,440 
kilograms (99,171,591 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 17, effective December 21, 
1996, and is set forth in subheading 9903.52.17, subchapter III, 
chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(HTS).

DATES: The quota is effective as of December 21, 1996, and applies to 
upland cotton purchased not later than March 20, 1997 (90 days from the 
date the quota is established), and entered into the United States not 
later than June 18, 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 September 26, 1996. Therefore, a quota 
referenced as the Secretary of Agriculture's Special Cotton Import 
Quota Announcement

[[Page 60087]]

Number 17, effective December 21, 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 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 9903.52.17 becomes available upon the expiration of the 
Secretary of Agriculture's Special Cotton Import Quota Announcement 
Number 17, effective June 24, 1996, through December 20, 1996. 
Therefore, the special import quota described in this notice opens on 
December 21, 1996, the day after the previous special import quota 17 
ends.
    The quota amount, 44,983,440 kilograms (99,171,591 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--June 1996 through August 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 November 18, 1996.
Dan Glickman,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-30171 Filed 11-25-96; 8:45 am]
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