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

December 14, 1998.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs extending

amendments of requirements for participation in the Special Access

Program for a temporary period.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: December 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 published in the Federal Register on November 12, 1998 (63

FR 63297) requested public comments on CITA's intention to extend

through December 31, 2000, the current exemption periods for women's

and girls' (December 23, 1997 through December 22, 1998) and men's and

boys' (September 23, 1998 through September 22, 1999) ``hymo'' type

interlinings.

Effective on December 23, 1998, the exemption period for women's

and girls' and men's and boys' 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

tailored suit jackets and suit-type jackets in Categories 433, 443, 633

and 643, which are entered under the Special Access Program

(9802.00.8015), shall be extended for the periods December 23, 1998

through December 31, 2000 for women's and girls' ; and September 23,

1998 through December 31, 2000 for men's and boys'.

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

62 FR 66057, published on December 17, 1997; and 63 FR 51903, published

on September 29, 1998.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

December 14, 1998.

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 December 11, 1997 and September 23,

1998, by the Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements. Those directives concern the foreign origin exception

for findings and trimmings under the Special Access Program.

Effective on December 23, 1998, by date of export, you are

directed to extend through December 31, 2000, the amendment to treat

non-U.S. formed, U.S.-cut interlinings 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 tailored suit jackets and suit-type jackets in

Categories 433, 443, 633 and 643 as qualifying for 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. Non-U.S.

formed, U.S.-cut interlinings may be used in imports of women's and

girls' and men's and boys' suit jackets and suit-type jackets

entered under the Special Access Program (9802.00.8015) provided

they are cut

[[Page 70113]]

in the United States and of a type described above.

The amendment implemented by this directive shall be for the

periods December 23, 1998 through December 31, 2000 for women's and

girls' ``hymo'' type interlinings and September 23, 1998 through

December 31, 2000 for men's and boys' ``hymo'' type interlinings.

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. 98-33604 Filed 12-17-98; 8:45 am]

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