Amendment of Export Visa Requirements for Certain Man-Made Fiber Apparel Products Produced or Manufactured in the Republic of Maldives

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Amendment of Export Visa Requirements for Certain Man-Made Fiber

Apparel Products Produced or Manufactured in the Republic of Maldives

August 13, 1996.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs amending

visa requirements.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: September 1, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ross Arnold, International Trade

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

Commerce, (202) 482-4212.

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 1983, the Governments of the United States and the Republic of

Maldives agreed to amend their Visa Arrangement, effected by exchange

of letters dated December 29, 1981 and March 22, 1982, to require the

use of a standard nine-digit visa number, beginning with the year of

quota.

Effective on September 1, 1996, all export visas issued by the

Republic of Maldives for cotton, wool and man-made fiber apparel

products in Categories 237, 239, 330-359, 431-459 and 630-659, produced

or manufactured in Maldives and exported from Maldives on and after

September 1, 1996, must contain the nine-digit visa number, beginning

with the last digit of the year of export rather than the year of

quota. During the period September 1, 1996 through September 30, 1996,

U.S. Customs will accept either the new or the old visa number format.

Goods exported on and after October 1, 1996 shall be denied entry if

not accompanied by an appropriate export visa, beginning with the

correct year of export.

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

Commissioner of Customs to amend the visa requirements to require the

use of the standard nine-digit visa number, beginning with one numeric

digit for the last digit of the year of export, followed by the two

character alpha country code and a six digit numeric serial number

identifying the shipment; e.g., 6MV123456.

See 47 FR 36879, published on August 24, 1992.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

August 13, 1996.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

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

the directive issued to you on August 18, 1982, as amended, by the

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

That directive directs you to prohibit entry of certain cotton, wool

and man-made fiber apparel, produced or manufactured in Maldives

which were not properly visaed by the Government of the Republic of

Maldives.

Effective on September 1, 1996, all export visas issued by the

Republic of Maldives for cotton, wool and man-made fiber apparel in

Categories 237, 239, 330-359, 431-459 and 630-659, produced or

manufactured in Maldives and exported from Maldives on and after

September 1, 1996, must contain the nine-digit visa number,

beginning with the last digit of the year of export rather than the

year of quota. During the period September 1, 1996 through September

30, 1996, you are directed to accept either the new or the old visa

number format. Goods exported on and after October 1, 1996 must be

accompanied by a visa which contains the standard nine-digit visa

number, beginning with one numeric digit for the last digit of the

year of export, followed by the two character alpha country code and

a six digit numeric serial number identifying the shipment; e.g.,

6MV123456.

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.

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has

determined that this action falls within the foreign affairs

exception to the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).

Sincerely,

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc. 96-21028 Filed 8-16-96; 8:45 am]

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