Amendment of Quota and Visa Requirements for Certain Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Malaysia

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Amendment of Quota and Visa Requirements for Certain Man-Made

Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Malaysia

January 6, 1998.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs amending

quota and visa requirements.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 14, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ross Arnold, 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 November 22, 1997 and December 22, 1997,

the Governments of the United States and Malaysia agreed that discharge

printed fabric classified in Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) numbers

5516.14.0005, 5516.14.0025 and 5516.14.0085 in Category 611 which is

produced or manufactured in Malaysia and imported on or after January

1, 1998 will no longer be subject to visa requirements and will not be

subject to 1998 limits. The new designation for Category 611 will be

611-O. The 1998 quota level for the new part-Category 611-O remains

unchanged.

Effective on January 14, 1998, products in Category 611, produced

or manufactured in Malaysia and exported from Malaysia on or after

January 1, 1998 must be accompanied by a 611-O part-category visa.

There will be a grace period from January 1, 1998 through January 31,

1998 during which products exported from Malaysia in Category 611 may

be accompanied by the whole or new part-category visa. A visa will not

be required for discharge printed fabric in Category 611 beginning on

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 export quota and visa 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 32158, published on August 26, 1987; and 62 FR 18758, published

on April 17, 1997.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

January 6, 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 22, 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 Malaysia and exported during the twelve-

month period which begins on January 1, 1998 and extends through

December 31, 1998.

Effective on January 14, 1998, discharge printed fabric

classified in Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) numbers 5516.14.0005,

5516.14.0025, 5516.14.0085 in Category 611 which is produced or

manufactured in Malaysia and imported on or after January 1, 1998

will no longer be subject to visa requirements and will not be

subject to 1998

[[Page 1832]]

limits, pursuant to exchange of notes dated November 22, 1997 and

December 22, 1997 between the Governments of the United States and

Malaysia and under the terms of the Uruguay Round Agreement on

Textiles and Clothing. The new designation for Category 611 will be

611-O \1\.

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\1\ Category 611-O: all HTS numbers except 5516.14.0005,

5516.14.0025 and 5516.14.0085.

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The import restraint limit for the new part-Category 611-O

remains the same as the 1998 limit for Category 611.

Effective on January 14, 1998, you are directed to require a

part-category visa for products in Category 611-O, produced or

manufactured in Malaysia and exported on or after January 1, 1998.

There will be a grace period from January 1, 1998 through January

31, 1998 during which products exported from Malaysia in Category

611 may be accompanied by the whole or new part-category visa. A

visa will not be required for discharge printed fabric in Category

611 beginning on 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

shall be denied entry and a new visa 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.98-606 Filed 1-9-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F