Amendment Export Visa Requirements for Certain Silk Apparel and Cotton, Wool, Man-Made Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Textiles and Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in the People's Republic of China

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Amendment Export Visa Requirements for Certain Silk Apparel and

Cotton, Wool, Man-Made Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber

Textiles and Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in the People's

Republic of China

November 15, 1996.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs providing

for the use of export licenses/commercial invoices printed on light

grey guilloche paper with a map of the People's Republic of China in

the middle.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Aldrich, 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).

The Governments of the United States and the People's Republic of

China have agreed to amend the existing export visa requirements to

provide for the use of export licenses/commercial invoices, issued by

the Government of the People's Republic of China, for shipments of

goods produced or manufactured in China and exported from China on and

after January 1, 1997, which are printed on light grey guilloche

patterned background paper with a newly added dull color map of the

People's Republic of China in the middle. The light grey form replaces

the light green export license/commercial invoice currently in use. The

visa stamp is not being changed at this time. The Chinese Embassy in

Washington, DC, will continue to issue the white pre-printed

replacement visa now in use.

Shipments of textile and apparel products which are produced or

manufactured in China and exported from China during the period January

1, 1997 through February 28, 1997 may be accompanied by a visa printed

on either the light green or light grey background paper with a dull

color map of the People's Republic of China in the middle.

See 59 FR 35324, published on July 11, 1994; and 60 FR 22567,

published on May 8, 1995.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

November 15, 1996.

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 July 5, 1994 and May 3, 1995, by the

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Those directives establish export visa arrangements for certain silk

apparel and cotton, wool, man-made fiber, silk blend, and other

vegetable fiber textiles and textile products, produced or

manufactured in the People's Republic of China.

Effective on January 1, 1997, you are directed to amend the July

5, 1994 and May 3, 1995 directives to provide for the use of export

licenses/commercial invoices issued

[[Page 59089]]

by the Government of the People's Republic of China which are

printed on light grey guilloche patterned background paper with a

newly added dull color map of the People's Republic of China in the

middle. The light grey form will replace the light green form

currently being used. The Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, will

continue to issue the white pre-printed replacement visa now in use.

To facilitate implementation of this amendment to the export

licensing system, I request that you permit entry of textile

products, produced or manufactured in China and exported from China

during the period January 1, 1997 through February 28, 1997, for

which the Government of the People's Republic of China has issued an

export license/commercial invoice printed on either a light green

form or a light grey form with a dull color map of the People's

Republic of China in the middle.

Goods exported on and after March 1, 1997 must be accompanied by

an export visa issued by the Government of the People's Republic of

China only on the light grey license/invoice form with a dull color

map of the People's Republic of China in the middle.

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. 96-29649 Filed 11-19-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F