[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 127 (Monday, July 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34914-34915]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16591]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Cancellation of Certain Export Visa Requirements for Certain 
Cotton, Wool, Man-Made Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber 
Textiles and Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Lesotho

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs canceling 
certain export visa requirements.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: August 20, 2001.

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 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as 
amended (7 U.S.C. 1854); Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as 
amended.
    On December 9, 1992, the Governments of the United States and the 
Kingdom of Lesotho agreed to establish an export visa arrangement for 
certain textiles and textile products, produced or manufactured in 
Lesotho and exported from Lesotho. CITA directed the U.S. Customs 
Service to prohibit entry of textile and textile products covered by 
the arrangement for which the Government of Lesotho had not issued an 
appropriate export visa. (See 58 FR 26121, published on April 30, 
1993).
    The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) provides that 
eligible textile and apparel articles enter free of duty and free of 
quantitative limitation, provided, inter alia, that the country has 
adopted an effective visa system to prevent unlawful transshipment of 
the articles and the use of counterfeit documents relating to 
importation of the articles into the United States. Pursuant to this 
requirement, the Governments of the United States and Lesotho agreed to 
a new, AGOA visa system, which entered into effect on April 23, 2001. 
(See 66 FR 21192, published on April 27, 2001)
    As a result of the new, AGOA visa system, the Governments of the 
United States and Lesotho have agreed to terminate the 1992 visa 
arrangement, effective August 20, 2001. On and after this date, 
textiles and textile products will not be subject to the requirements 
of the 1992 visa arrangement. However, importers claiming preferential 
tariff treatment under the AGOA for entries of textile and apparel 
articles should ensure that those entries meet the requirements of the 
new, AGOA visa system. (See 66 FR 7837, published on January 25, 2001).

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

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

June 26, 2001.

Commissioner of Customs,
Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

    Dear Commissioner: This directive cancels and supersedes the 
directive issued to you on April 23, 1993, by the Chairman, 
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That 
directive directs you to prohibit entry of certain cotton, wool, 
man-made fiber, silk blend and other vegetable fiber textiles and 
textile products, produced or manufactured in Lesotho which were not 
properly visaed by the Government of Lesotho.
    The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) provides that 
eligible textile and apparel articles enter free of duty and free of 
quantitative limitation, provided, inter alia, that the country has 
adopted an effective visa system to prevent unlawful transshipment 
of the articles and the use of counterfeit documents relating to 
importation of the articles into the United States. Pursuant to this 
requirement, the Governments of the United States and Lesotho agreed 
to a new, AGOA visa system, which entered into effect on April 23, 
2001. (See 66 FR 21192, published on April 27, 2001)
    As a result of the new, AGOA visa system, the Governments of the 
United States and Lesotho have agreed to terminate the 1992 visa 
arrangement, effective August 20, 2001. On and after this date, 
textiles and textile products will not be subject to the 
requirements of the 1992 visa arrangement. However, importers 
claiming preferential tariff treatment under the AGOA for entries of 
textile and apparel articles should ensure that those entries meet 
the requirements of the new, AGOA visa system. (See 66 FR 7837, 
published on January 25, 2001).
    Therefore, effective on August 20, 2001, you are directed to 
terminate the textile visa requirement set forth in the April 23, 
1993 directive. Importers claiming preferential tariff treatment 
under the AGOA for entries of textile and apparel articles must 
continue to meet the requirements of the new, AGOA visa system. (See 
66 FR 7837, published on January 25, 2001)

[[Page 34915]]

    The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has 
determined that these actions fall within the foreign affairs 
exception of 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. 01-16591 Filed 6-29-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F