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

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Extension of Temporary Amendment to the Requirements for

Participating in the Special Access Progam for Caribbean Basin

Countries

March 20, 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: March 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 September 19, 1997 (62 FR 49206) 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

were temporarily amended to include non-U.S. formed, U.S. cut

interlinings for the period September 23, 1997 through March 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 a six-

month period beginning on March 23, 1998 and extending through

September 22, 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)

[[Page 14072]]

provided they are cut in the United States and are of a type described

below:

(1) A 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;

(2) 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.

(3) 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.

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 September 15, 1997, 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 March 23, 1998, by date of export, you are directed

to extend, for the six-month period March 23, 1998 through September

22, 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 established 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 September 22,

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 chest plate, ``hymo'' piece or ``sleeve header'' of woven

or weft-inserted warp knit construction of coarse animal hair or

man-made filaments used in the manufacture of nen's or boys'

tailored suit jackets and suit-type jackets;

(2) 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.

(3) 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.

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,

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements.

[FR Doc. 98-7722 Filed 3-23-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F