[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 40 (Tuesday, February 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10769-10770]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-4801]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Insular Affairs

[Docket No. 990813222-0035-03]
RIN 0625-AA55


Allocation of Duty-Exemptions for Calendar Year 2000 Among Watch 
Producers Located in the Virgin Islands

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce; Office of Insular Affairs, Department of the 
Interior.

[[Page 10770]]


ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This action allocates calendar year 2000 duty-exemptions for 
watch producers located in the Virgin Islands pursuant to Pub. L. 97-
446, as amended by Pub. L. 103-465 (``the Act'').

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Faye Robinson, (202) 482-3526.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Act, the Departments of the 
Interior and Commerce (the Departments) share responsibility for the 
allocation of duty exemptions among watch assembly firms in the United 
States insular possessions and the Northern Mariana Islands. In 
accordance with Section 303.3(a) of the regulations (15 CFR 303(a)), 
the total quantity of duty-free insular watches and watch movements for 
calendar year 2000 is 1,866,000 units for the Virgin Islands (65 FR 
8048, February 17, 2000).
    The criteria for the calculation of the calendar year 2000 duty-
exemption allocations among insular producers are set forth in Section 
303.14 of the regulations (15 CFR 303.14).
    The Departments have verified and adjusted the data submitted on 
application form ITA-334P by Virgin Islands producers and inspected 
their current operations in accordance with Section 303.5 of the 
regulations (15 CFR 303.5).
    In calendar year 1999 the Virgin Islands watch assembly firms 
shipped 627,703 watches and watch movements into the customs territory 
of the United States under the Act. The dollar amount of creditable 
corporate income taxes paid by Virgin Islands producers during calendar 
year 1999 plus the creditable wages paid by the industry during 
calendar year 1999 to residents of the territory was $3,100,676.
    There are no producers in Guam, American Samoa or the Northern 
Mariana Islands.
    The calendar year 2000 Virgin Islands annual allocations, based on 
the data verified by the Departments, are as follows:

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                                                                Annual
                        Name of firm                          allocation
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Belair Quartz, Inc.........................................      500,000
Hampden Watch Co., Inc.....................................      200,000
Progress Watch Co., Inc....................................      300,000
Unitime Industries, Inc....................................      500,000
Tropex, Inc................................................      300,000
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    The balance of the units allocated to the Virgin Islands is 
available for new entrants into the program or producers who request a 
supplement to their allocation.

Robert S. LaRussa,
Assistant Secretary for Import Administration, Department of Commerce.
Ferdinand Aranza,
Director, Office of Insular Affairs, Department of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 00-4801 Filed 2-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P AND 4310-93-P