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

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Extension of Temporary Amendment to the Requirements for

Participating in the Special Access Program for Caribbean Basin

Countries

September 23, 1998.

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: September 23, 1998.

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 March 24, 1998 (63 FR 14071) 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 March 22, 1998 through September 22, 1998

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 the

final time for the period beginning on September 23, 1998 and extending

through December 31, 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 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.

[[Page 51904]]

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

Also, this amendment is being extended for 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, for the one-year

period beginning on September 23, 1998 and extending through September

22, 1999.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

September 23, 1998.

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 March 20, 1998, 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, 1998, by date of export, you are

directed to extend, for the final time for the period beginning on

September 23, 1998 and extending through December 31, 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 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 December 31, 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

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 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.

(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 men's or boys' tailored suit jackets and

suit-type jackets.

Also, you are directed to extend this amendment for the one-year

period, beginning on September 23, 1998 and extending through

September 22, 1999, for 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.

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. 98-26063 Filed 9-28-98; 8:45 am]

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