Amendment of Quota, Visa and ELVIS (Electronic Visa Information System) Requirements for Discharge Printed Fabric Produced or Manufactured in Indonesia

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Amendment of Quota, Visa and ELVIS (Electronic Visa Information

System) Requirements for Discharge Printed Fabric Produced or

Manufactured in Indonesia

January 23, 1998.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs amending

quota, visa and ELVIS requirements.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 29, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet Heinzen, International Trade

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

Commerce, (202) 482-4212.

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.

In exchange of notes dated December 10, 1997 and January 9, 1998,

the Governments of the United States and Indonesia agreed that

discharge printed fabric classified in Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS)

numbers 5208.52.3035, 5208.52.4035, 5209.51.6032 (Category 313),

5209.51.6015 (Category 314), 5208.52.4055 (Category 315), 5208.59.2085

(Category 317), 5208.59.2015, 5209.59.0015 and 5211.59.0015 (Category

326) which is produced or manufactured in Indonesia and imported on or

after January 1, 1998 will no longer be subject to visa and ELVIS

(Electronic Visa Information System) requirements and will not be

subject to 1998 limits. The new designation for Categories 313, 314,

315, 317 and 326 will be part-category 313-O, 314-O, 315-O, 317-O and

326-O, respectively. The 1998 quota levels established for Categories

313, 314, 315 and 317/617/326 remain the same for the newly established

part-categories 313-O, 314-O, 315-O and 317-O/617/326-O.

Also effective on January 29, 1998, products in Categories 313,

314, 315, 317 and 326 (except discharge printed fabric), produced or

manufactured in Indonesia and exported from Indonesia on or after

January 1, 1998 must be accompanied by a 313-O, 314-O, 315-O, 317-O and

326-O part-category visa and ELVIS transmission. Products in Category

617 shall continue to require a 617 visa and ELVIS transmission.

Products currently visaed as 317/617/326 which are exported from

Indonesia on or after January 1, 1998 must be accompanied by either a

317-O/617/326-O merged category visa and ELVIS transmission, or the

correct category visa and ELVIS transmission (317-O, 326-O or 617)

corresponding to the actual shipment. There will be a grace period from

January 1, 1998 through February 14, 1998 during which products

exported from Indonesia in Categories 313, 314, 315, 317 and 326 may be

accompanied by the whole or new part-category visa and ELVIS

transmission. During the grace period, products visaed in merged

Categories 317/617/326 may be accompanied by a 317-O/617/326-O merged

category visa and ELVIS transmission, a 317/617/326 merged whole

category visa and ELVIS transmission or the correct category visa and

ELVIS transmision (317, 326, 617, 317-O or 326-O) corresponding to the

actual shipment. A visa and ELVIS transmission will not be required for

discharge printed fabric in Categories 313, 314, 315, 317 and 326

imported on or after January 1, 1998, regardless of the date of export.

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

Commissioner of Customs to amend the export quota, visa and ELVIS

requirements.

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 62 FR 66057, published on December 17, 1997). Also see

52 FR 20134, published in May 29, 1987; 62 FR 37202, published on July

[[Page 6161]]

11, 1997; and 62 FR 67625, published on December 29, 1997.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

January 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 December 19, 1997, by the Chairman,

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That

directive concerns imports of certain cotton, wool, man-made fiber,

silk blend and other vegetable fiber textiles and textile products,

produced or manufactured in Indonesia and exported during the

twelve-month period which begins on January 1, 1998 and extending

through December 31, 1998.

Effective on January 29, 1998, discharge printed fabric

classified in Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) numbers 5208.52.3035,

5208.52.4035, 5209.51.6032 (Category 313), 5209.51.6015 (Category

314), 5208.52.4055 (Category 315), 5208.59.2085 (Category 317),

5208.59.2015, 5209.59.0015 and 5211.59.0015 (Category 326) which is

produced or manufactured in Indonesia and imported on or after

January 1, 1998 will no longer be subject to visa and ELVIS

(Electronic Visa Information System) requirements and will not be

subject to 1998 limits, pursuant to exchange of notes dated December

10, 1997 and January 9, 1998. The new designation for Categories

313, 314, 315, 317 and 326 will be part-category 313-O \1\, 314-O

\2\, 315-O \3\, 317-O \4\, 326-O \5\, respectively.

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\1\ Category 313-O: all HTS numbers except 5208.52.3035,

5208.52.4035 and 5209.51.6032.

\2\ Category 314-O: all HTS numbers except 5209.51.6015.

\3\ Category 315-O: all HTS numbers except 5208.52.4055.

\4\ Category 317-O: all HTS numbers except 5208.59.2085.

\5\ Category 326-O: all HTS numbers except 5208.59.2015,

5209.59.0015 and 5211.59.0015.

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The 1998 quota levels established for Categories 313, 314, 315

and 317/617/326 remain the same for the newly established part-

Categories 313-O, 314-O, 315-O and 317-O/617/326-O.

Also effective on January 29, 1998, you are directed to amend

further the directive dated May 19, 1987 to require a part-category

visa and ELVIS transmission for Categories 313-O, 314-O, 315-O, 317-

O and 326-O, produced or manufactured in Indonesia and exported on

or after January 1, 1998. Products in Category 617 shall continue to

require a 617 visa and ELVIS transmission. Products currently visaed

as merged Categories 317/617/326 which are exported from Indonesia

on or after January 1, 1998 must be accompanied by either a 317-O/

617/326-O merged category visa and ELVIS transmission or the correct

category visa and ELVIS transmission (317-O, 326-O or 617)

corresponding to the actual shipment. There will be a grace period

from January 1, 1998 through February 14, 1998 during which products

exported from Indonesia in Categories 313, 314, 315, 317 and 326 may

be accompanied by the whole or new part-category visa and ELVIS

transmission. During the grace period, products visaed in merged

Categories 317/617/326 may be accompanied by a 317-O/617/326-O

merged category visa and ELVIS transmission, a 317/617/326 merged

whole category visa and ELVIS transmission, or the correct category

visa and ELVIS transmission (317, 326, 617, 317-O or 326-O)

corresponding to the actual shipment. A visa and ELVIS transmission

will not be required for discharge printed fabric in Categories 313,

314, 315, 317 and 326 imported on or after January 1, 1998,

regardless of the date of export.

Shipments entered or withdrawn from warehouse according to this

directive which are not accompanied by an appropriate export visa

and ELVIS transmission shall be denied entry and a new visa and

ELVIS transmission must be obtained.

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. 98-3109 Filed 2-5-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F