Amendment of Visa Requirements for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man- Made Fiber Apparel Produced or Manufactured in the Republic of Maldives

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Amendment of Visa Requirements for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-

Made Fiber Apparel Produced or Manufactured in the Republic of Maldives

March 20, 1998.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs amending

visa requirements.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: April 15, 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 May 16, 1997 and February 19, 1998, the

Governments of the United States and the Republic of Maldives agreed to

amend the existing export visa arrangement to require that the quantity

stated on the visa be listed in whole units. If the quantity exported

exceeds one specific whole unit but is less than the next whole unit,

visaed quantities will be rounded to the closest whole unit. Half units

will be rounded up. Where the exported unit is less than one unit, the

shipment will be rounded upwards to one unit.

Effective on April 15, 1998, apparel products, produced or

manufactured in Maldives and exported on or after April 15, 1998 must

be accompanied by a visa with the quantity stated in whole units,

decimals and fractions will no longer be accepted. There will be a

grace period from April 15, 1998 through May 14, 1998 during which

products, produced or manufactured in Maldives, will not be denied

entry if the quantity is stated in decimals and fractions. Shipments

exported after May 14, 1998 will be denied entry unless the quantity is

stated in whole numbers.

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

Commissioner of Customs to amend the export visa requirements.

See 47 FR 36879, published on August 24, 1982.

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

March 20, 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 August 18, 1982, by the Chairman,

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That

directive directed you to prohibit entry of certain cotton, wool and

man-made fiber apparel, produced or manufactured in the Republic of

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Maldives for which the Government of Maldives has not issued an

appropriate export visa.

Effective on April 15, 1998 apparel, produced or manufactured in

Maldives and exported on or after April 15, 1998 must be accompanied

by a visa with the quantity stated in whole units, decimals and

fractions will no longer be accepted. There will be a grace period

from April 15, 1998 through May 14, 1998 during which apparel,

produced or manufactured in Maldives and exported during that

period, will not be denied entry if the quantity is stated in

decimals and fractions. Shipments exported after May 14, 1998 will

be denied entry unless the quantity is stated in whole numbers.

If the quantity exported exceeds one specific whole unit but is

less than the next whole unit, visaed quantities will be rounded to

the closest whole unit. Half units will be rounded up. Where the

exported unit is less than one unit, the shipment will be rounded

upwards to one unit.

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 this action falls within the foreign affairs

exception to the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).

Sincerely,

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements.

[FR Doc.98-7721 Filed 3-24-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F