[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 212 (Wednesday, November 1, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65296-65297]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28134]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Exemption for Certain Textile and Apparel Articles from 
Designated Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act Beneficiary Countries 
from Existing Quota, Guaranteed Access Levels (GALs), Visa and GAL 
Certification Requirements

October 30, 2000.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs exempting 
certain textile and apparel articles from quota, Guaranteed Access 
Levels (GALs), visa and GAL certification requirements.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: October 2, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Naomi Freeman, International Trade 
Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, (202) 482-4212.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Authority: Section 211 of the Trade and Development Act of 2000 
(19 U.S.C. 2703); Presidential Proclamation 7351 of October 2, 2000; 
Section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 
1854); Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended.

    Section 211 of the Trade and Development Act of 2000 provides duty 
and quota-free treatment for certain textile and apparel articles 
imported from designated Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) 
beneficiary countries. On October 2, 2000, the President designated 
Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica 
and Panama, among others, as CBTPA beneficiary countries (Proclamation 
7351, 65 FR 59329, published on October 4, 2000).
    Effective October 2, 2000, the U.S. Trade Representative determined 
that these countries, among others, have implemented and follow, or are 
making substantial progress towards implementing and following, the 
customs procedures required by the CBTPA, and the U.S. Trade 
Representative amended the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United 
States (HTS) to provide the tariff treatment authorized under the CBTPA 
for goods from these countries (65 FR 60236, published on October 10, 
2000).
    The CBTPA provides that textile and apparel articles that qualify 
for CBTPA benefits shall enter the United States free of duty and free 
of any quantitative restriction, limitation, or consultation level. 
Therefore, CITA directs the U.S. Customs Service no longer to impose 
specific limits on textile and apparel articles from Costa Rica, 
Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica and Panama 
that qualify for preferential treatment under Section 211 of the Trade 
and Development Act of 2000, and no longer to impose Guaranteed Access 
Levels (GALs), visa and GAL certification requirements for these 
articles.
    Benefits under Section 211 for certain knit apparel from all 
beneficiary countries are limited in each of the one-year periods, 
beginning on October 1, 2000 and ending on September 30, 2008 (19 
U.S.C. 2703(b)(2)(A)(iii)(I, II). Similarly, benefits under this 
provision for t-shirts are also limited during this period (19 U.S.C. 
2703(b)(2)(A)(iii)(III, IV). Applicable quota and visa

[[Page 65297]]

requirements will apply to imports in excess of each of the one-year 
limits.

D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

October 30, 2000.

Commissioner of Customs
Department of the Treasury, Washington, D.C. 20229
    Dear Commissioner:
    This directive exempts from otherwise applicable quota, 
Guaranteed Access Levels (GALs), visa and GAL certification 
requirements certain textile and apparel articles, produced or 
manufactured in Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, 
Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, and Panama, and exported to the United 
States.
    Effective on October 2, 2000, textile and apparel articles, 
imported from Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, 
Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica or Panama, qualifying for duty and quota-
free treatment under Section 211 of the Trade and Development Act of 
2000, are not subject to otherwise applicable quota, GALs, visa or 
GAL certification requirements.
    Benefits under Section 211 for certain knit apparel from all 
beneficiary countries are limited in each of the one-year periods, 
beginning on October 1, 2000 and ending on September 30, 2008. (19 
U.S.C. 2703(b)(2)(A)(iii)(I, II) Similarly, benefits under this 
provision for t-shirts are also limited during this period. (19 
U.S.C. 2703(b)(2)(A)(iii)(III, IV) Applicable quota and visa 
requirements will apply to imports in excess of each of the one-year 
limits.
    The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has 
determined that these actions fall within the foreign affairs 
exception to the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).

    Sincerely,

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.

[FR Doc. 00-28134 Filed 10-30-00; 11:58 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F