[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 47 (Tuesday, March 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11156-11157]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-5894]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Insular Affairs
[Docket No. 960508126-6126-01]
RIN 0625-AA46


Allocation of Duty-Exemptions for Calendar Year 1997 Among Watch 
Producers Located in the Virgin Islands

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce; Office of Insular Affairs, Department of the 
Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This action allocates 1997 duty-exemptions for watch producers 
located in the Virgin Islands pursuant to Pub. L. 97-446, as amended by 
Pub. L. 103-465 (``the Act'').

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Faye Robinson, (202) 482-3526.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Act, the Departments of the 
Interior and Commerce (the Departments) share responsibility for the 
allocation of duty exemptions among watch assembly firms in the United 
States insular possessions and the Northern Mariana Islands. In 
accordance with Sec. 303.3(a) of the regulations (15 CFR part 303), 
this action establishes the total quantity of duty-free insular watches 
and watch movements for 1997 at 4,600,000 units and divides this amount 
among the three insular possessions of the United States and the 
Northern Mariana Islands. Of this amount, 3,100,000 units may be 
allocated to Virgin Islands producers, 500,000 to Guam producers, 
500,000 to American Samoa producers and 500,000 to Northern Mariana 
Islands producers (61 FR 55883).
    The criteria for the calculation of the 1997 duty-exemption 
allocations among insular producers are set forth in Sec. 303.14 of the 
regulations.
    The Departments have verified the data submitted on application 
form ITA-334P by Virgin Islands producers and inspected their current 
operations in accordance with Section 303.5 of the regulations.
    In calendar year 1996 the Virgin Islands watch assembly firms 
shipped 1,015,199 watches and watch movements into the customs 
territory of the United States under the Act. The dollar amount of 
creditable corporate income taxes paid by Virgin Islands producers 
during calendar year 1996 plus the creditable wages paid by the 
industry during calendar year 1996 to

[[Page 11157]]

residents of the territory totalled $3,623,965.
    There are no producers in Guam, American Samoa or the Northern 
Mariana Islands.
    The calendar year 1997 Virgin Islands annual allocations set forth 
below are based on the data verified by the Departments in the Virgin 
Islands. The allocations reflect adjustments made in data supplied on 
the producers' annual application forms (ITA-334P) as a result of the 
Departments' verification.
    The duty-exemption allocations for calendar year 1997 in the Virgin 
Islands are as follows:

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                                                              Annual    
                      Name of firm                          allocation  
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Belair Quartz, Inc......................................         500,000
Hampden Watch Co., Inc..................................         200,000
Progress Watch Co., Inc.................................         500,000
Unitime Industries, Inc.................................         500,000
Tropex, Inc.............................................         400,000
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Robert S. LaRussa,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Import Administration, Department of 
Commerce.
Danny Aranza,
Acting Director, Office of Insular Affairs, Department of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 97-5894 Filed 3-10-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P, 4310-93-P