Announcing Settlement on Import Limits and Guaranteed Access Levels and Amending Visa Requirements for Certain Cotton and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Guatemala

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcing Settlement on Import Limits and Guaranteed Access

Levels and Amending Visa Requirements for Certain Cotton and Man-Made

Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Guatemala

November 7, 1995.

AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs amending a

limit and restraint period and directing Customs to begin signing form

ITA-370P.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: November 15, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Aldrich, International Trade

Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of

Commerce, (202) 482-4212. For information on the quota status of these

limits, refer to the Quota Status Reports posted on the bulletin boards

of each Customs port or call (202) 927-5850. For information on

embargoes and quota re-openings, call (202) 482-3715.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended;

section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C.

1854).

In a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated October 19, 1995, the

Governments of the United States and the Republic of Guatemala agreed,

pursuant to the Uruguay Round Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round

Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC), to establish a limit for

Categories 342/642 for the periods May 31, 1995 through December 31,

1995; January 1, 1996 through December 31, 1996; January 1, 1997

through December 31, 1997; and January 1, 1998 through May 30, 1998.

The governments also agreed to establish Guaranteed Access Levels

(GALs) for Categories 342/642 for the periods January 1, 1996 through

December 31, 1996; January 1, 1997 through December 31, 1997; and

January 1, 1998 through May 30, 1998.

Beginning on November 15, 1995, the U.S. Customs Service will start

signing the first section of the form ITA-370P for shipments of U.S.

formed and cut parts in Categories 342/642 that are destined for

Guatemala and subject to the GAL established for Categories 342/642 for

the period beginning on January 1, 1996 and extending through December

31, 1996. These products are governed by Harmonized Tariff item number

9802.00.8015 and chapter 61 Statistical Note 5 and chapter 62

Statistical Note 3 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Interested

parties should be aware that shipments of cut parts in Categories 342/

642 must be accompanied by a form ITA-370P, signed by a U.S. Customs

officer, prior to export from the United States for assembly in

Guatemala in order to qualify for entry under the Special Access

Program.

In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the

Commissioner of Customs to amend the current level and restraint period

for Categories 342/642, and to begin signing the first section of form

ITA-370P. Also, visa requirements are being amended to include the

coverage of merged Categories 342/642.

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 59 FR 65531, published on December 20, 1994). Also see

55 FR 3079, published on January 30, 1990; and 60 FR 44316, published

on August 25, 1995.

Requirements for participation in the Special Access Program are

provided in Federal Register notices 51 FR 21208, published on June 11,

1986; 52 FR 26057, published on July 10, 1987; 54 FR 50425, published

on December 6, 1989; and 55 FR 3079, published on January 30, 1990.

The letter to the Commissioner of Customs and the actions taken

pursuant to it are not designed to implement all of the provisions of

the Uruguay Round Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement on

Textiles and Clothing, but are designed to assist only in the

implementation of certain of their provisions.

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

November 7, 1995.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

Dear Commissioner: This directive amends, but does not cancel,

the directives issued to you on August 22, 1995 by the Chairman,

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That

directive concerns imports of certain cotton and man-made fiber

textile products, produced or manufactured in Guatemala and exported

during the twelve-month period beginning on May 31, 1995 through May

30, 1996.

Effective on November 15, 1995, you are directed, pursuant to

the Memorandum of Understanding dated October 19, 1995 between the

Governments of the United States and the Republic of Guatemala, the

[[Page 57226]]

Uruguay Round Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement on

Textiles and Clothing, to amend the current restraint period for

Categories 342/642 to end on December 31, 1995 at a level of 285,685

dozen \1\.

\1\ The limit has not been adjusted to account for any imports

exported after May 30, 1995.

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Effective on November 15, 1995, you are directed to amend the

directive dated January 24, 1990 to require a visa for goods in

Categories 342 and 642 which are produced or manufactured in

Guatemala and exported from Guatemala on and after November 15,

1995. Shipments of goods in Categories 342 and 642 may be visaed as

merged Categories 342/642 or the correct category corresponding to

the actual shipment. Goods exported during the period November 15,

1995 through December 14, 1995 shall not be denied entry for lack of

a visa.

Shipments entered or withdrawn from warehouse according to this

directive which are not accompanied by an appropriate export visa

shall be denied entry and a new visa must be obtained.

Beginning on November 15, 1995, the U.S. Customs Service is

directed to start signing the first section of the form ITA-370P for

shipments of U.S. formed and cut parts in Categories 342/642 that

are destined for Guatemala and re-exported to the United States on

and after January 1, 1996.

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. 95-28087 Filed 11-13-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F