COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Amendment of Export Visa and Quota Requirements for Certain Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in All Countries and Made Up in the European Community (EC)

November 23, 1999.

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


ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs amending visa and quota requirements to permit the use of a single visaed document and Electronic Visa Information System (ELVIS) transmission for certain textile products made up in the European Community.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2000.


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.


Currently, entry into the customs territory of the United States for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of certain textiles and textile products for which the country of origin has not issued an appropriate visa is prohibited. Moreover, if the quantity indicated on the visa is less than that of the shipment, entry is prohibited.

On August 16, 1999, the United States and the European Community (EC) (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) signed a ProcesVerbal which concerned U.S. rules of origin for certain textile products. In that agreement, the United States agreed that a single import visaed invoice/license can be used on multiple shipments of textile products of cotton or consisting of fiber blends containing 16 percent or more by weight of cotton exported from the EC and classified in the following Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) headings and subheadings 6117.10, 6213, 6214, 6302.22, 6302.29, 6302.52, 6302.53, 6302.59, 6302.92, 6302.93, 6302.99, 6303.92, 6303.99, 6304.19, 6304.93, 6304.99, 9404.90.85 and 9404.90.95, or products of cotton classified in HTS headings 6302.21, 6302.51, 6302.91, 6303.91, 6304.92 or 9404.90.80.These products must be made up in an EC Member State from fabric which is dyed and printed in an EC Member State and has undergone in a Member State two or more of the following finishing operations: bleaching, shrinking, fulling, napping, decating, permanent stiffening, weighting, permanent embossing or moireing.

As a result, CITA is directing the U.S. Customs Service to amend the current textile and apparel visa requirements for products manufactured in all countries (WTO and non-WTO member countries) subject to such requirements. The U.S. Customs Service is directed to permit the use of a single visaed document and Electronic Visa Information System (ELVIS) transmission for these products exported from the EC on and after August 16, 1999. For shipments of such products, if the quantity indicated on the visa is greater than the shipment, the visa will be valid for subsequent shipments, but the total quantity of imports entered using a visa may not exceed the quantity indicated on the visa.

Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.


Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
November 23, 1999.


Commissioner of Customs,
Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.


Dear Commissioner: Pursuant to Section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854); Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended; the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Textiles and Clothing; and the Proces-Verbal, dated August 16, 1999 between the Governments of the United States and the European Community (EC), you are directed to amend the current textile and apparel visa requirements for products manufactured in all countries (WTO and non-WTO member countries) and made up in the European Community.

Effective on January 1, 2000, you are directed to permit a single visaed document and Electronic Visa Information System (ELVIS) transmission to be used on multiple shipments of textile products of cotton or consisting of fiber blends containing 16 percent or more by weight of cotton classified in the following Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) of the United States headings and subheadings 6117.10, 6213, 6214, 6302.22, 6302.29, 6302.52, 6302.53, 6302.59, 6302.92, 6302.93, 6302.99, 6303.92, 6303.99, 6304.19, 6304.93, 6304.99, 9404.90.85 and 9404.90.95, or products of cotton classified in the following HTS headings 6302.21, 6302.51, 6302.91, 6303.91, 6304.92 or 9404.90.80, exported from the EC. Such products must be made up in an EC Member State from fabric which is dyed and printed in a Member State and has undergone in a Member State two or more of the following finishing operations: bleaching, shrinking, fulling, napping, decating, permanent stiffening, weighting, permanent embossing or moireing.

For shipment of the above products, if the quantity indicated on the visa is greater than the shipment, the visa will be valid for subsequent shipments, but the total quantity of imports entered using a visa may not exceed the quantity indicated on the visa. This only applies to shipments exported from the EC on and after August 16, 1999.

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. 99-0000 Filed 0-00-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F