Announcing Establishment and Adjustment of Import Limits and Amendment of Visa Requirements for Certain Cotton Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Nepal

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcing Establishment and Adjustment of Import Limits and

Amendment of Visa Requirements for Certain Cotton Textile Products

Produced or Manufactured in Nepal

November 7, 1996.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs announcing

the establishment and adjustment of limits and amendment of visa

requirements.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: November 13, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet Heinzen, International Trade

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

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

limit, 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 November 6, 1996, the

Governments of the United States and Nepal agreed to establish a limit

for cotton shoptowels in Category 369-S for four consecutive one-year

periods beginning on January 1, 1997 and extending through December 31,

2000. Also, the two governments agreed to increase the 1996 limit for

Category 340 for special carryforward.

Effective on January 1, 1997, textile products in Category 369

which are produced or manufactured in Nepal and exported from Nepal on

and after January 1, 1997 shall require a 369-S or 369-O visa. There

will be a grace period from January 1, 1997 through January 31, 1997

during which goods exported from Nepal in Category 369 may be

accompanied by a 369, 369-S or 369-O visa. Textile products exported in

Category 369 on and after February 1, 1997 must be accompanied by an

appropriate part-category visa.

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

Commissioner of Customs to amend the visa requirements to require a

369-S or 369-O part category visa and to increase the current limit for

Category 340. As a result of the increase to Category 340, the limit,

which is currently filled, will re-open.

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 60 FR 65299, published on December 19, 1995). Also see

52 FR 11724, published on April 3, 1987; and 60 FR 62410, published on

December 6, 1995.

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 bilateral agreement and the November 6, 1996 MOU, but are designed

to assist only in

[[Page 58170]]

the implementation of certain of its provisions.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

November 7, 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 November 29, 1995, by the Chairman of

CITA. That directive concerns imports of certain cotton and man-made

fiber textile products, produced or manufactured in Nepal and

exported during the twelve-month period which began on January 1,

1996 and extends through December 31, 1996.

Effective on November 13, 1996, you are directed, pursuant to a

Memorandum of Understanding dated October 24, 1996 between the

Governments of the United States and Nepal, to increase the current

limit for Category 340 to 438,408 dozen \1\.

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\1\ The limit for Category 340 has not been adjusted to account

for any imports exported after December 31, 1995.

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Effective on January 1, 1997, textile products produced or

manufactured in Nepal and exported from Nepal on and after January

1, 1997, in Category 369 shall require a 369-S \2\ or 369-O \3\

visa. There will be a grace period from January 1, 1997 through

January 31, 1997 during which goods exported from Nepal in Category

369 may be accompanied by a 369, 369-S or 369-O visa. Textile

products exported in Category 369 on and after February 1, 1997 must

be accompanied by an appropriate part-category visa.

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\2\ Category 369-S: only HTS number 6307.10.2005.

\3\ Category 369-O: all HTS numbers except 6307.10.2005

(Category 369-S).

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The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has

determined that these actions fall 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. 96-29208 Filed 11-8-96; 1:53 pm]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F