Amendment of Export Visa Requirements for Textiles and Textile Products Integrated into GATT 1994 in the Third Stage

Federal RegisterDec 5, 2001

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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Amendment of Export Visa Requirements for Textiles and Textile Products Integrated into GATT 1994 in the Third Stage

November 29, 2001.

AGENCY:

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION:

Issuing a Directive to the Commissioner of Customs amending export visa requirements.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

January 1, 2002

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lori Mennitt, International Trade Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-3400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Textiles and Clothing provides for the staged integration of textiles and textile products into the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994. The third stage of the integration will take place on January 1, 2002. The products to be integrated on January 1, 2002 were announced on April 26, 1995 (see 60 FR 21075, published on May 1, 1995).

This directive does not affect textile visas that may be required under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

The United States will not maintain visa requirements on textiles and textile products integrated on January 1, 2002 that are produced or manufactured in a WTO Member country. In the letter

published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the Commissioner of Customs to eliminate existing visa requirements for textiles and textile products integrated on January 1, 2002 and exported on or after that date, produced or manufactured in a WTO Member country. Existing visa requirements will be maintained for goods exported prior to January 1, 2002 and for goods that are not produced or manufactured in a WTO Member country.

A description of the textile and apparel categories in terms of HTS numbers is available in the CORRELATION: Textile and Apparel Categories with the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (see

Federal Register

notice 65 FR 82328, published on December 28, 2000). Information regarding the availability of the 2002 CORRELATION will be published in the

Federal Register

at a later date.

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

November 29, 2001.

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; and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, you are directed to amend the current visa requirements for certain textiles and textile products produced or manufactured in WTO Member countries and exported on or after January 1, 2002.

Effective on January 1, 2002, for goods exported on and after that date, export visas will not be required for textiles and textile products produced or manufactured in a WTO Member country and integrated into the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 on January 1, 2002.

The following entire textile categories will be integrated on January 1, 2002: 222, 223, 350, 431, 464, 600, 606, 607, 621, 622, 649, 650, 670, 800, 810, 831, 833, 834, 835, 836, 838, 840, 842, 843, 844, 847, 850, 851, 858, 870, and 871.

The following partial textile categories will be integrated on January 1, 2002: 331, 359, 369, 459, 469, 631, 659, 666, 669, and 859. A complete list of products in the partially integrated categories is attached to this letter. This listing is based on the 2001 Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.

Export visas will continue to be required for non-integrated products, for products integrated on January 1, 2002 produced or manufactured in a country that is not a Member of the World Trade Organization, and for products integrated on January 1, 2002 that were exported prior to that date.

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Part Categories in Stage 3