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

December 11, 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.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: December 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: Section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as

amended (7 U.S.C. 1854); Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as

amended.

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

Federal Register on July 2, 1997 (62 FR 35788) 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 was

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

for the period June 23, 1997 through December 22, 1997 for women's and

girls' suit jackets and suit-type jackets in Categories 435, 444, 635

and 644. This amendment is being extended for a one-year period

beginning on December 23, 1997 and extending through December 22, 1998

for women's and girls' suit jackets and suit-type jackets 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

[[Page 66058]]

coarse animal hair or man-made filaments used in the manufacture of

women's or girls' tailored suit jackets and suit-type jacksts;

(2) 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 women's or girls' tailored suit jackets and suit-type

jackets.

Note that the amendment is not being extended for weft-inserted

warp knit fabric which contains and exhibits properties of elasticity

and resilience which render the fabric especially suitable for

attachement by fusing with a thermo-plastic adhensive to the coat-

front, side body or back of women's or girls' tailored suit jackets and

suit-type jackets. These interlinings must be formed and cut in the

United States.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

December 11, 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 June 26, 1997, 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 December 23, 1997, by date of export, you are

directed to extend, for the one-year period December 23, 1997

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

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

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

Categories 435, 444, 635 and 644 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. With respect to women's and girls' suit jackets

and suit-type jackets in Categories 435, 444, 635 and 644, the

amendment will terminate on December 22, 1998, by date of export of

the assembled article.

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

be used in imports of women's or girls' suit jackets and suit-type

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 women's or girls'

tailored suit jackets and suit-type jackets;

(2) 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 women's or girls' tailored suit jackets

and suit-type jackets.

This amendment is not being extended for 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 women's or girls' tailored suit jackets

and suit-type jackets. These interlinings must be formed and cut in

the United States.

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. 97-32896 Filed 12-16-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F