Extension of Temporary Amendment to the Requirements for Participating in the Special Access Progam for Caribbean Basin Countries

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Extension of Temporary Amendment to the Requirements for

Participating in the Special Access Progam for Caribbean Basin

Countries

September 15, 1997.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs extending

amendment of requirements for participation in the Special Access

Program for a temporary period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 23, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lori E. Mennitt, International Trade

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

Commerce, (202) 482-3400.

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).

A notice and letter to the Commissioner of Customs published in the

Federal Register on September 20, 1996 (61 FR 49439) announced the

temporary amendment to the foreign origin exception for findings and

trimmings under the Special Access Program. By date of export, the

foreign origin exception for findings and trimmings, including elastic

strips of less than one inch in width, under the Special Access Program

were temporarily amended to include non-U.S. formed, U.S. cut

interlinings for the period September 23, 1996 through September 22,

1997 for men's and boys' suit jackets and suit-type jackets in

Categories 433, 443, 633 and 643. In the aggregate, such interlinings,

findings and trimmings must not exceed 25 percent of the cost of the

components of the assembled article. This amendment is being extended

for a six-month period beginning on September 23, 1997 and extending

through March 22, 1998 for men's and boys' suit jackets and suit-type

jackets in Categories 433, 443, 633 and 643 entered under the Special

Access Program (9802.00.8015) provided they are cut in the United

States and are of a type described below:

(1) A chest type plate, ``hymo'' piece or ``sleeve header'' of

woven or welf-inserted warp knit construction of coarse animal hair or

man-made filaments used in the manufacture of men's or boys' tailored

suit jackets and suit-type jackets;

(2) A weft-inserted warp knit fabric which contains and exhibits

properties of elasticity and resilience which render the fabric

especially suitable for attachment by fusing with a thermo-plastic

adhesive to the coat-front, side body or back of men's or boys'

tailored suit jackets and suit-type jackets.

(3) A woven fabric which contains and exhibits properties of

resiliency which render the fabric especially suitable for attachment

by fusing with a thermo-plastic adhesive to the coat-front, side body

or back of men's or boys' tailored suit jackets and suit-type jackets.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

September 15, 1997.

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 September 16, 1996, by the Chairman,

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That

directive concerns the foreign origin exception for findings and

trimmings under the Special Access Program.

Effective on September 23, 1997, by date of export, you are

directed to extend, for the six-month period September 23, 1997

through March 22, 1998, the amendment to treat non-U.S. formed,

U.S.-cut interlinings, further described below, for men's and boys'

wool and man-made fiber suit jackets and suit-type jackets in

Categories 433, 443, 633 and 643 as qualifying for the exception for

findings and trimmings, including elastic strips less than one inch

in width, created under the Special Access Program established

effective September 1, 1986 (see 51 FR 21208). In the aggregate,

such interlinings, findings and trimmings must not exceed 25 percent

of the cost of the components of the assembled article.

The amendment implemented by this directive shall be of a

temporary nature. The amendment will terminate on March 22, 1998, by

date of export.

As described above, non-U.S. formed, U.S.-cut interlinings may

be used in imports of men's or boys' suit jackets and suit-type

[[Page 49207]]

jackets entered under the Special Access Program (9802.00.8015)

provided they are cut in the United States and of a type described

below:

(1) A chest plate, ``hymo'' piece or ``sleeve header'' of woven

or weft-inserted warp knit construction of coarse animal hair or

man-made filaments used in the manufacture of nen's or boys'

tailored suit jackets and suit-type jackets;

(2) A weft-inserted warp knit fabric which contains and exhibits

properties of elasticity and resilience which render the fabric

especially suitable for attachment by fusing with a thermo-plastic

adhesive to the coat-front, side body or back of men's or boys'

tailored suit jackets and suit-type jackets.

(3) A woven fabric which contains and exhibits properties of

resiliency which render the fabric especially suitable for

attachment by fusing with a thermo-plastic adhesive to the coat-

front, side body or back of men's or boys' tailored suit jackets and

suit-type jackets.

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has

determined that this action falls within the foreign affairs

exception of 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. 97-24869 Filed 9-18-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F