Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 88 /Thursday, May 7, 1998 / Notices 25203

1Category 313–O: all HTS numbers except

5208.52.3035, 5208.52.4035 and 5209.51.6032.

2Category 314–O: all HTS numbers except

5209.51.6015.

3Category 315–O: all HTS numbers except

5208.52.4055.

4Category 317–O: all HTS numbers except

5208.59.2085.

5Category 326–O: all HTS numbers except

5208.59.2015, 5209.59.0015 and 5211.59.0015.

6Category 611–O: all HTS numbers except

5516.14.0005, 5516.14.0025 and 5516.14.0085.

COMMITTEE FOR THE

IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE

AGREEMENTS

Amendment of Quota, Visa and ELVIS

(Electronic Visa Information System)

Requirements for Certain Cotton and

Man-Made Fiber Textile Products

Produced or Manufactured in Thailand

May 1, 1998.

AGENCY: Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements

(CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the

Commissioner of Customs amending

quota, visa and ELVIS requirements.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 7, 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, 1862, as

amended.

In exchange of notes dated December

8, 1997, January 20, 1998, February 6,

1998 and April 8, 1998, the

Governments of the United States and

Thailand agreed that discharge printed

fabric classified in Harmonized Tariff

Schedule (HTS) numbers 5208.52.3035,

5208.52.4035, 5209.51.6032 (Category

313), 5209.51.6015 (Category 314),

5208.52.4055 (Category 315),

5208.59.2085 (Category 317),

5208.59.2015, 5209.59.0015,

5211.59.0015 (Category 326),

5516.14.0005, 5516.14.0025 and

5516.14.0085 (Category 611) which is

produced or manufactured in Thailand

and imported on or after May 7, 1998

will no longer be subject to visa and

ELVIS (Electronic Visa Information

System) requirements and will not be

subject to 1998 limits. The new

designations for Categories 313, 314,

315, 317, 326, 317/326 and 611 will be

part-category 313–O, 314–O, 315–O,

317–O, 326–O, 317–O/326–O and 611–

O, respectively. The 1998 quota levels

established for Categories 313, 314, 315,

317/326 and 611 remain the same for

the newly established part-categories.

Also effective on May 7, 1998,

products in Categories 313, 314, 315,

317, 326 and 611, produced or

manufactured in Thailand and exported

from Thailand on or after April 8, 1998

must be accompanied by a 313–O, 314–

O, 315–O, 317–O, 326–O and 611–O

part-category visa and ELVIS

transmission. Products currently visaed

as 317/326 which are exported from

Thailand on or after April 8, 1998 must

be accompanied by either a 317–O/326–

O merged part-category visa 317/326

and ELVIS transmission, or the correct

part-category visa and ELVIS

transmission (317–O or 326–O)

corresponding to the actual shipment.

There will be a grace period from April

8, 1998 through June 7, 1998 during

which products exported from Thailand

in Categories 313, 314, 315, 317/326 and

611 may be accompanied by the whole

or new part-category visa and ELVIS

transmission. During the grace period,

products visaed in merged Categories

317–O/326–O may be accompanied by a

317–O/326–O merged part-category visa

and ELVIS transmission, a 317/326

merged whole category visa or the

correct whole or part-category visa and

ELVIS transmission (317, 326, 317–O or

326–O).

In the letter published below, the

Chairman of CITA directs the

Commissioner of Customs to amend the

export quota, visa and ELVIS

requirements.

A description of the textile and

apparel categories in terms of HTS

numbers is available in the

CORRELATION: Textile and Apparel

Categories with the Harmonized Tariff

Schedule of the United States (see

Federal Register notice 62 FR 66057,

published on December 17, 1997). Also

see 42 FR 5994, published in February

1, 1977; 57 FR 2713, published on

January 23, 1992; and 62 FR 60829,

published on November 13, 1997.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation

of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements

May 1, 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 December 5, 1997, by the

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation

of Textile Agreements. That directive

concerns imports of certain cotton, wool,

man-made fiber, silk blend and other

vegetable fiber textiles and textile products,

produced or manufactured in Thailand and

exported during the twelve-month period

which begins on January 1, 1998 and extends

through December 31, 1998.

Effective on May 7, 1998, discharge printed

fabric classified in Harmonized Tariff

Schedule (HTS) numbers 5208.52.3035,

5208.52.4035, 5209.51.6032 (Category 313),

5209.51.6015 (Category 314), 5208.52.4055

(Category 315), 5208.59.2085 (Category 317),

5208.59.2015, 5209.59.0015, 5211.59.0015

(Category 326), 5516.14.0005, 5516.14.0025

and 5516.14.0085 (Category 611) which is

produced or manufactured in Thailand and

imported on or after May 7, 1998 will no

longer be subject to visa and ELVIS

(Electronic Visa Information System)

requirements and will not be subject to 1998

limits, regardless of the date of export,

pursuant to exchange of notes dated

December 8, 1997, January 20, 1998,

February 6, 1998 and April 8, 1998. The new

designations for Categories 313, 314, 315,

317, 326, 317/326 and 611 will be partCategories 313–O 1, 314–O 2, 315–O 3, 317–

O 4, 326–O 5, 317–O/326–O and 611–O 6,

respectively.

The 1998 quota levels established for

Categories 313, 314, 315, 317/326 and 611

remain the same for the newly established

part-Categories 313–O, 314–O, 315–O, 317–

O/326–O and 611–O.

Also effective on May 7, 1998, you are

directed to amend further the directive dated

January 16, 1992 to require a part-category

visa and ELVIS transmission for Categories

313–O, 314–O, 315–O, 317–O, 326–O and

611–O, produced or manufactured in

Thailand and exported on or after April 8,

1998. Products currently visaed as merged

Categories 317/326 which are exported from

Thailand on or after April 8, 1998 must be

accompanied by either a 317–O/326–O

merged part-category visa and ELVIS

transmission or the correct part-category visa

and ELVIS transmission (317–O or 326–O)

corresponding to the actual shipment. There

will be a grace period from April 8, 1998

through June 7, 1998 during which products

exported from Thailand in Categories 313,

314, 315, 317/326 and 611 may be

accompanied by the whole or new partcategory visa and ELVIS transmission. During

the grace period, products visaed in merged

Categories 317–O/326–O may be

accompanied by a 317–O/326–O merged

part-category visa and ELVIS transmission, a

317/326 merged whole category visa and

ELVIS transmission, or the correct whole or

part-category visa and ELVIS transmission

(317, 326, 317–O or 326–O).

Shipments entered or withdrawn from

warehouse according to this directive which

are not accompanied by an appropriate

export visa and ELVIS transmission shall be

denied entry and a new visa and ELVIS

transmission must be obtained.

The Committee for the Implementation of

Textile Agreements has determined that

these actions fall within the foreign affairs

exception to 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. 98–12084 Filed 5–6–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–F