This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

14105

Vol. 62, No. 57

Tuesday, March 25, 1997

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Secretary of Agriculture

[Special Cotton Import Quota

Announcement Number 3]

Import Quota; Upland Cotton

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: A special import quota for

upland cotton equal to 44,900,528

kilograms (98,988,801 pounds) is

established in accordance with section

136(b) of the Federal Agriculture

Improvement and Reform Act of 1996

(the 1996 Act) under Presidential

Proclamation 6301 of June 7, 1991, and

Presidential Proclamation 6948 of

October 29, 1996. The quota is

referenced as the Secretary of

Agriculture’s Special Cotton Import

Quota Announcement Number 3,

effective February 1, 1997, and is set

forth in subheading 9903.52.03,

subchapter III, chapter 99 of the

Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the

United States (HTS).

DATES: The quota is effective as of

February 1, 1997, and applies to upland

cotton purchased not later than May 1,

1997 (90 days from the date the quota

is established), and entered into the

United States not later than July 30,

1997 (180 days from the date the quota

is established).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Janise Zygmont, Farm Service Agency,

United States Department of

Agriculture, Stop 0515, P.O. Box 2415,

Washington, DC 20013–2415 or call

(202) 720–8841.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 1996

Act requires that a special import quota

for upland cotton be determined and

announced immediately if, for any

consecutive 10-week period, the Friday

through Thursday average price

quotation for the lowest-priced U.S.

growth, as quoted for Middling 1–3/32

inch cotton, C.I.F. northern Europe (U.S.

Northern Europe price), adjusted for the

value of any cotton user marketing

certificates issued, exceeds the Northern

Europe price by more than 1.25 cents

per pound. This condition was met

during the consecutive 10-week period

that ended December 19, 1996.

Therefore, a quota referenced as the

Secretary of Agriculture’s Special

Cotton Import Quota Announcement

Number 3, effective February 1, 1997, is

hereby established.

Previously there were only 20

subheadings available for designating

upland cotton special import quotas in

subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTS.

Therefore, at most, only 20 such quotas

could be in effect at one time and any

additional quota which had been

triggered could not become effective

until the earliest of the 20 quotas ended.

However, Presidential Proclamation

6948 dated October 29, 1996, added six

new HTS subheadings for quotas—21

through 26. A maximum of 26 quotas

may now be in effect at one time.

To be effective as soon as possible,

Quota 3 is established as of February 1,

1997, and applies to upland cotton

purchased not later than May 1, 1997,

and entered into the United States not

later than July 30, 1997. The quota

amount, 44,900,528 kilograms

(98,988,801 pounds), is equal to 1

week’s consumption of upland cotton

by domestic mills at the seasonallyadjusted average rate of the most recent

3 months for which data are available—

September 1996 through November

1996. The special import quota

identifies a quantity of imports that is

not subject to the over-quota tariff rate

of a tariff-rate quota. The quota is not

divided by staple length or by country

of origin. The quota does not affect

existing tariff rates or phytosanitary

regulations. The quota does not apply to

Extra Long Staple cotton.

Authority: Sec. 136, Pub. L. 104–127 and

U.S. Note 6(a), Subchapter III, Chapter 99 of

the HTS.

Signed at Washington, D.C., on March 18,

1997.

Dan Glickman,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–7405 Filed 3–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P

[Special Cotton Import Quota

Announcement Number 4]

Import Quota; Upland Cotton

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: A special import quota for

upland cotton equal to 44,900,528

kilograms (98,988,801 pounds) is

established in accordance with section

136(b) of the Federal Agriculture

Improvement and Reform Act of 1996

(the 1996 Act) under Presidential

Proclamation 6301 of June 7, 1991, and

Presidential Proclamation 6948 of

October 29, 1996. The quota is

referenced as the Secretary of

Agriculture’s Special Cotton Import

Quota Announcement Number 4,

effective February 8, 1997, and is set

forth in subheading 9903.52.04,

subchapter III, chapter 99 of the

Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the

United States (HTS).

DATES: The quota is effective as of

February 8, 1997, and applies to upland

cotton purchased not later than May 8,

1997 (90 days from the date the quota

is established), and entered into the

United States not later than August 6,

1997 (180 days from the date the quota

is established).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Janise Zygmont, Farm Service Agency,

United States Department of

Agriculture, Stop 0515, P.O. Box 2415,

Washington, DC 20013–2415, or call

(202) 720–8841.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 1996

Act requires that a special import quota

for upland cotton be determined and

announced immediately if, for any

consecutive 10-week period, the Friday

through Thursday average price

quotation for the lowest-priced U.S.

growth, as quoted for Middling 13⁄32

inch cotton, C.I.F. northern Europe (U.S.

Northern Europe price), adjusted for the

value of any cotton user marketing

certificates issued, exceeds the Northern

Europe price by more than 1.25 cents

per pound. This condition was met

during the consecutive 10-week period

that ended December 26, 1996.

Therefore, a quota referenced as the

Secretary of Agriculture’s Special

Cotton Import Quota Announcement

Number 4, effective February 8, 1997, is

hereby established.

Previously there were only 20

subheadings available for designating