[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 127 (Monday, July 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 34914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16590]



[[Page 34914]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of Public Comment Period on the Elimination of the 
Paper Visa Requirement with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Regime 
of the People's Republic of China (HKSAR)

June 26, 2001.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Seeking public comments on the elimination of the paper visa 
requirement with the HKSAR.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lori Mennitt, Office of Textiles and 
Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-3400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    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.
    The Electronic Visa Information System (ELVIS) allows foreign 
governments to electronically transfer shipment information to the U.S. 
Customs Service on textile and apparel shipments. On November 9, 1995, 
a notice was published in the Federal Register (61 FR 56576) seeking 
public comments on the implementation of ELVIS. Subsequently, a 
document published on December 29, 1998 (63 FR 71621) announced that, 
starting on January 1, 1999, the HKSAR would implement the ELVIS 
system. This implementation did not eliminate the requirement for a 
valid paper visa to accompany each shipment for entry into the United 
States.
    As a result of successful use of the dual visa system, preparations 
are under way to move beyond the current dual system to the paperless 
ELVIS system with Hong Kong.
    The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements is 
requesting interested parties to submit comments on the elimination of 
the paper visa requirement for Hong Kong and utilization of the ELVIS 
system exclusively. Comments must be received on or before insert date 
60 days from publication. Comments may be mailed to D. Michael 
Hutchinson, Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of 
Textile Agreements, room 3001, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20230.
    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).

D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.
[FR Doc.01-16590 Filed 6-29-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-S