[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 233 (Monday, December 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68087-68088]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-31495]
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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS
Amendment of Export Visa and Quota Requirements for Certain
Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in All Countries and Made Up
in the European Community (EC)
November 23, 1999.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).
ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs amending
visa and quota requirements to permit the use of a single visaed
document and Electronic Visa Information System (ELVIS) transmission
for certain textile products made up in the European Community.
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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2000.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lori E. Mennitt, International Trade
Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of
Commerce, (202) 482-3400.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 68088]]
Authority: Section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as
amended (7 U.S.C. 1854); Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as
amended.
Currently, entry into the customs territory of the United States
for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of
certain textiles and textile products for which the country of origin
has not issued an appropriate visa is prohibited. Moreover, if the
quantity indicated on the visa is less than that of the shipment, entry
is prohibited.
On August 16, 1999, the United States and the European Community
(EC) (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and
the United Kingdom) signed a Proces-Verbal which concerned U.S. rules
of origin for certain textile products. In that agreement, the United
States agreed that a single import visaed invoice/license can be used
on multiple shipments of textile products of cotton or consisting of
fiber blends containing 16 percent or more by weight of cotton exported
from the EC and classified in the following Harmonized Tariff Schedule
(HTS) headings and subheadings 6117.10, 6213, 6214, 6302.22, 6302.29,
6302.52, 6302.53, 6302.59, 6302.92, 6302.93, 6302.99, 6303.92, 6303.99,
6304.19, 6304.93, 6304.99, 9404.90.85 and 9404.90.95, or products of
cotton classified in HTS headings 6302.21, 6302.51, 6302.91, 6303.91,
6304.92 or 9404.90.80.
These products must be made up in an EC Member State from fabric
which is dyed and printed in an EC Member State and has undergone in a
Member State two or more of the following finishing operations:
bleaching, shrinking, fulling, napping, decating, permanent stiffening,
weighting, permanent embossing or moireing.
As a result, CITA is directing the U.S. Customs Service to amend
the current textile and apparel visa requirements for products
manufactured in all countries (WTO and non-WTO member countries)
subject to such requirements. The U.S. Customs Service is directed to
permit the use of a single visaed document and Electronic Visa
Information System (ELVIS) transmission for these products exported
from the EC on and after August 16, 1999. For shipments of such
products, if the quantity indicated on the visa is greater than the
shipment, the visa will be valid for subsequent shipments, but the
total quantity of imports entered using a visa may not exceed the
quantity indicated on the visa.
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
November 23, 1999.
Commissioner of Customs,
Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.
Dear Commissioner: Pursuant to Section 204 of the Agricultural
Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854); Executive Order 11651 of
March 3, 1972, as amended; the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Agreement on Textiles and Clothing; and the Proces-Verbal, dated
August 16, 1999 between the Governments of the United States and the
European Community (EC), you are directed to amend the current
textile and apparel visa requirements for products manufactured in
all countries (WTO and non-WTO member countries) and made up in the
European Community.
Effective on January 1, 2000, you are directed to permit a
single visaed document and Electronic Visa Information System
(ELVIS) transmission to be used on multiple shipments of textile
products of cotton or consisting of fiber blends containing 16
percent or more by weight of cotton classified in the following
Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) of the United States headings and
subheadings 6117.10, 6213, 6214, 6302.22, 6302.29, 6302.52, 6302.53,
6302.59, 6302.92, 6302.93, 6302.99, 6303.92, 6303.99, 6304.19,
6304.93, 6304.99, 9404.90.85 and 9404.90.95, or products of cotton
classified in the following HTS headings 6302.21, 6302.51, 6302.91,
6303.91, 6304.92 or 9404.90.80, exported from the EC. Such products
must be made up in an EC Member State from fabric which is dyed and
printed in a Member State and has undergone in a Member State two or
more of the following finishing operations: bleaching, shrinking,
fulling, napping, decating, permanent stiffening, weighting,
permanent embossing or moireing.
For shipment of the above products, if the quantity indicated on
the visa is greater than the shipment, the visa will be valid for
subsequent shipments, but the total quantity of imports entered
using a visa may not exceed the quantity indicated on the visa. This
only applies to shipments exported from the EC on and after August
16, 1999.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has
determined that this action falls 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. 99-31495 Filed 12-03-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F