63512 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 237 / Monday, December 11, 1995 / Notices

of Customs from ‘‘640,590 kilograms’’ to

‘‘640,589 kilograms.’’

Sincerely,

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation

of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc.95–30096 Filed 12–8–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–F

Establishment of a New Export Visa

Arrangement and Certification

Requirements for Certain Cotton,

Wool, Man-Made Fiber, Silk-Blend and

Non-Cotton Vegetable Fiber Textiles

and Textile Products Produced or

Manufactured in Colombia

December 5, 1995.

AGENCY: Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements

(CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the

Commissioner of Customs establishing

new export visa and certification

requirements.

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 6, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jennifer Aldrich, International Trade

Specialist, Office of Textiles and

Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce,

(202) 482–4212.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: Executive Order 11651 of March

3, 1972, as amended; section 204 of the

Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7

U.S.C. 1854).

On October 31, 1995 representatives

of the Governments of the United States

and the Republic of Colombia signed an

agreement to establish a new export visa

arrangement and certification

requirements for certain cotton, wool,

man-made fiber, silk-blend and other

vegetable fiber textiles and textile

products, produced or manufactured in

Colombia and exported from Colombia

on and after November 10, 1995. Goods

exported during the period November

10, 1995 through December 31, 1995

shall not be denied entry for lack of a

visa or certification. All goods exported

after January 1, 1996 must be

accompanied by an appropriate export

visa or certification. Certain

merchandise shall be exempt from quota

requirements.

In the letter published below, the

Chairman of CITA directs the

Commissioner of Customs to prohibit

entry of certain textile products,

produced or manufactured in Colombia

and exported from Colombia for which

the Government of the Republic of

Colombia has not issued an appropriate

export visa or certificate.

Facsimiles of export visa and

certification stamps are on file at the

U.S. Department of Commerce in Room

3100.

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 59 FR 65531,

published on December 20, 1994). Also

see 60 FR 45144, published on August

30, 1995; 60 FR 45145, published on

August 30, 1995; 60 FR 53762,

published on October 17, 1995.

Requirements for participation in the

Special Access Program are available in

Federal Register notices 51 FR 21208,

published on June 11, 1986; 52 FR

26057, published on July 10, 1987; and

54 FR 50425, published on December 6,

1989. Also see 41 FR 30707, published

on July 26, 1976.

Interested persons are advised to take

all necessary steps to ensure that textile

products that are entered into the

United States for consumption, or

withdrawn from warehouse for

consumption, will meet the visa and

certification requirements set forth in

the letter published below to the

Commissioner of Customs.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation

of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements

December 5, 1995.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC

20229.

Dear Commissioner: This directive cancels

and supersedes the directive issued to you on

July 20, 1976, as amended, by the Chairman,

Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements. That directive directed you to

prohibit entry of certain cotton, wool, manmade fiber, silk blend, and other vegetable

fiber textiles and textile products, produced

or manufactured in Colombia and exported

from Colombia for which the Government of

the Republic of Colombia has not issued an

appropriate export visa or certificate.

Under the terms of section 204 of the

Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7

U.S.C. 1854); pursuant to the Export Visa

Arrangement dated October 31, 1995 between

the Governments of the United States and the

Republic of Colombia; and in accordance

with the provisions of Executive Order 11651

of March 3, 1972, as amended, you are

directed to prohibit, effective on December 6,

1995, entry into the Customs territory of the

United States (i.e., the 50 states, the District

of Columbia and the Commonwealth of

Puerto Rico) for consumption and

withdrawal from warehouse for consumption

of cotton, wool, man-made fiber, silk-blend,

and other vegetable fiber textiles and textile

products in Categories 200–239, 300–369,

400–469, 600–670, and 800–899, including

merged and part categories, produced or

manufactured in Colombia and exported

from Colombia on and after November 10,

1995 for which the Government of the

Republic of Colombia has not issued an

appropriate export visa fully described

below. Should additional categories, merged

categories or part categories become subject

to import quota the entire category(s) or part

category(s) shall be included in the coverage

of this arrangement. Goods exported during

the period November 10, 1995 through

December 31, 1995 shall not be denied entry

for lack of a visa or certification.

A visa must accompany each commercial

shipment of the aforementioned textile

products. A circular stamped marking in blue

ink will appear on the front of the original

commercial invoice. The original visa shall

not be stamped on duplicate copies of the

invoice. The original invoice with the

original visa stamp will be required to enter

the shipment into the United States.

Duplicates of the invoice and/or visa may not

be used for this purpose.

Each visa stamp shall include the

following information:

1.The visa number. The visa number shall

be in the standard nine digit letter format,

beginning with one numerical digit for the

last digit of the year of export, followed by

the two character alpha country code

specified by the International Organization

for Standardization (ISO) (the code for

Colombia is ‘‘CO’’). These first two codes

shall be followed by the number ‘‘1’’ and a

five-digit serial number identifying the

shipment, e.g., 5CO112345.

2.The date of issuance. The date of

issuance shall be the day, month and year on

which the visa was issued.

3.The original signature of the issuing

official of the Government of the Republic of

Colombia.

4.The correct category(s), merged

category(s), part category(s), quantity(s) and

unit(s) of quantity in the shipment as set

forth in the U.S. Department of Commerce

Correlation or successor document and in the

Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United

States Annotated (HTSUSA or successor

documents) shall be reported in the spaces

provided within the visa stamp (e.g., ‘‘Cat.

352–510 DZ’’).

Quantities must be stated in whole

numbers. Decimals or fractions will not be

accepted. Merged category quota

merchandise may be accompanied by either

the appropriate merged category visa or the

correct category visa corresponding to the

actual shipment (e.g., Categories 352/652

may be visaed as 352/652 or if the shipment

consists solely of 352 merchandise, the

shipment may be visaed as ‘‘Cat. 352,’’ but

not as ‘‘Cat. 652’’).

U.S. Customs shall not permit entry if the

shipment does not have a visa, or if the visa

number, date of issuance, signature, category,

quantity or units of quantity are missing,

incorrect or illegible, or have been crossed

out or altered in any way. If the quantity

indicated on the visa is less than that of the

shipment, entry shall not be permitted. If the

quantity indicated on the visa is more than

that of the shipment, entry shall be permitted
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 237 / Monday, December 11, 1995 / Notices 63513

and only the amount entered shall be charged

to any applicable quota.

The complete name and address of the

actual manufacturer of the textile product

must be included on the visa document. If a

textile product has been processed by more

than one manufacturer, the complete name

and address of the last firm to substantially

transform the article into a new and different

article of commerce must be listed on the

visa document.

If the visa is not acceptable then a new visa

must be obtained from the Government of the

Republic of Colombia, or a visa waiver may

be issued by the U.S. Department of

Commerce at the request of the Embassy of

Colombia in Washington, DC, and presented

to the U.S. Customs Service before any

portion of the shipment will be released. The

waiver, if used, only waives the requirement

to present a visa with the shipment. It does

not waive the quota requirement.

If the visaed invoice is deficient, the U.S.

Customs Service will not return the original

document after entry, but will provide a

certified copy of that visaed invoice.

If import quotas are in force, U.S. Customs

Service shall charge only the actual quantity

in the shipment to the correct category limit.

If a shipment from Colombia has been

allowed entry into the commerce of the

United States with either an incorrect

category classification or misstatement of the

quantity, and redelivery is requested but

cannot be made, U.S. Customs shall charge

the shipment to the correct category limit

whether or not a replacement visa or visa

waiver is provided.

Each shipment of items to be exempted

from the bilateral agreement shall be

accompanied by a certification issued by the

Government of the Republic of Colombia.

The certification shall be a stamped marking

in blue ink on the front of the invoice.

The Government of the Republic of

Colombia will include the following

information on each certification:

1. authorized signature and title of the

official issuing the certification;

2.identify the items exempted;

3. date the certificate was signed and

certified;

4. certificate number.

5.in the space marked ‘‘Description’’

indicate that the shipment is either ‘‘less than

$250,’’ ‘‘a cottage industry product of

handloom fabric,’’ or the name of the

particular Colombian traditional folklore

products as listed in Annex A.

An export visa will not be required for

shipments of certified exempt items.

Each shipment of textile products which

has been assembled in the Republic of

Colombia wholly from components cut in the

United States from U.S. formed fabric which

are subject to the Andean Special Access

Textile Program as set out in the Agreement

shall be so certified by the Government of the

Republic of Colombia. This certification shall

be presented to the U.S. Customs Service

before entry, or withdrawal from warehouse

for consumption, into the customs territory of

the United States (the 50 states and Puerto

Rico).

Each shipment shall be certified by the

stamping of the original rectangular-shaped

stamped marking in blue ink on the front of

the original commercial invoice. The original

copy of the invoice with the original

certification will be required in order to enter

the shipment into the United States.

Duplicate copies of the invoice and/or

certification may not be used.

Each certification shall include the

following information:

1.The certification number. The

certification number shall be nine digits and

letters. It shall begin with one digit for the

last digit of the year of export followed by the

two character country code for Colombia,

which is ‘‘CO.’’ These first two codes shall

be followed by the number ‘‘2’’ and a fivedigit serial number identifying the shipment,

e.g., 5CO212345.

2.The date of issuance. The date of

issuance shall be the day, month and year in

which the visa was issued.

3.The original signature of the issuing

official of the Government of the Republic of

Colombia.

4.The correct category(s), merged

category(s), part category(s), quantity(s), and

unit(s) of quantity in the shipment in the

unit(s) of quantity provided for in the U.S.

Department of Commerce Correlation and in

the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the

United States Annotated (HTSUSA or

successor documents) shall be reported in the

spaces provided within the visa stamp (e.g.,

‘‘Cat. 352-510 DZ’’).

Quantities must be stated in whole

numbers. Decimals or fractions will not be

accepted. Merged category quota

merchandise may be accompanied by either

the appropriate merged category visa or the

correct category visa corresponding to the

actual shipment (e.g., Categories 352/652

may be visaed as 352/652 or if the shipment

consists solely of 352 merchandise, the

shipment may be visaed as ‘‘Cat. 352,’’ but

not as ‘‘Cat. 652’’).

U.S. Customs shall not permit entry if the

shipment does not have a certification

number, date of issuance, signature, category,

quantity or units of quantity are missing,

incorrect or illegible, or have been crossed

out or altered in any way. If the quantity

indicated on the certification is less than that

of the shipment, entry shall not be permitted.

If the quantity indicated on the certification

is more than that of the shipment, entry shall

be permitted and only the amount entered

shall be charged to any applicable quota.

Entry of textile products subject to the

certification system outlined above into the

customs territory of the United States will be

permitted only for those shipments

accompanied by:

1. A valid certification by the Government

of the Republic of Colombia.

2. A completed copy of form ITA–370P or

successor document with a proper

declaration by the Colombian assembler that

the articles were subject to assembly in

Colombia from parts described on that

declaration; and

3. A proper importer’s declaration.

Any shipment which is not accompanied

by a valid and correct certification in

accordance with the foregoing provisions

shall be denied entry by the Government of

the United States. If U.S. Customs determines

that the certification is invalid because of an

error, and the remaining documentation

fulfills requirements for entry under the

Andean Special Access Textile Program then

a new certification from the Government of

the Republic of Colombia must be obtained

or a visa waiver issued by the U.S.

Department of Commerce at the request of

the Government of the Republic of Colombia

must be obtained and presented to the U.S.

Customs Service before any portion of the

shipment will be released.

Any shipment found not to be in

compliance with the provisions of the

Andean Special Access Textiles Program

relating to trade in textile products wholly

assembled of U.S. components cut from U.S.

formed fabrics, may be permanently denied

entry under this program.

Merchandise imported for the personal use

of the importer and not for resale, regardless

of value, and properly marked or mutilated

commercial sample shipments valued at

U.S.$250 or less, do not require a visa or

certification for entry and shall not be

charged to existing quota levels.

Visaed merchandise and products eligible

for the Andean Special Access Textiles

Program may not appear on the same invoice.

The visa and certification stamps are

enclosed. The certification stamp for exempt

items remains unchanged.

The actions taken concerning the

Government of the Republic of Colombia

with respect to imports of textiles and textile

products in the foregoing categories have

been determined by the Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements to

involve foreign affairs functions of the United

States. Therefore, these directions to the

Commissioner of Customs, which are

necessary for the implementation of such

actions, fall within the foreign affairs

exception to the rulemaking provisions of 5

U.S.C. 553(a)(1). This letter will be published

in the Federal Register.

Sincerely,

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation

of Textile Agreements.

Annex A—Colombian Traditional

Folklore Handicraft Textile Products

‘‘Colombian Items’’ are traditional Colombian products, cut, sewn or otherwise fabricated by hand in cottage

units of the cottage industry. The following is the agreed upon list of such

items:

1. Bedspread: Bedspread made on manual loom.

2. Blouse with crochet knitted neck: A

blouse made of greige cloth heavily

decorated around the neck, extending down the front and around the

sleeves with hand crochet work. This

blouse also has embroidered panels

extending down the front on either

side of the crochet work.
63514 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 237 / Monday, December 11, 1995 / Notices

Annex A—Colombian Traditional

Folklore Handicraft Textile Products—Continued

3. Embroidered Blouse: Hand cut and

hand sewn blouse with extensive

hand embroidery on the upper front

and lower portions.

4. Embroidered Skirt: Hand cut and hand

sewn skirt with extensive hand embroidery.

5. Blankets, Hand Woven: These colorful

blankets are hand woven from wool,

cotton or wool and cotton, heavy

yarns to form striped or block patterns. The ends may be finished with

spangles formed by the ends of the

yarn and knotted, or may be

hemmed.

6. Indian Embroidered Cloth: Cloth panels

hand embroidered with various crude

and colorful Indian scenes. Generally

these cloths are used as wall hangings.

7. Typical Colombia Dress: An ankle

length dress with a very wide skirt

trimmed with wide handmade lace.

The entire dress is hand cut and

hand sewn and is a typical dress for

gaiety affairs.

8. Typical Guajira Dress: A traditional

loose fitting women’s garment formed

by a folded rectangular piece of fabric with a hole or slot in the center for

the head, with intricate embroidery

around the neck. This dress is made

similar to a ruana, but has the outer

edges sewn together except for slots

for the hands and arms, and has closures on the front.

9. Typical Mapale Dress: A knee length

dress consisting of very wide skirt

having a row of heavy ruffles around

the blouse portion and two bands of

wide ruffles forming the skirt. A very

gay colored festival dress.

10. Typical Mestiza Dress: A native handmade dress with wide neckline, ruffled collar and wide skirt and with ruffles on the lower part of the skirt.

11. Hammock: Multicolored stripped hammocks made by hand from coarse

fabrics. Ends are formed and

reinfored with strong rope.

12. Jacket, hand knitted: Wholly hand knitted jacket. These jackets are usually

knitted from wool yarns. Patched

pockets, also hand knitted, are hand

sewn to the garment.

13. Jacket of hand loomed fabric: These

jackets are wholly hand made from

hand loomed fabrics. Patched pockets, also of hand loomed fabric, are

hand sewn to the garment.

Annex A—Colombian Traditional

Folklore Handicraft Textile Products—Continued

14. Ruana: A cloak made from a heavy

rectangular piece of fabric or a blanket with hole in the center for the

head to pass through. This is a typical garment worn by men, women

and children throughout the higher

and cooler altitudes of Colombia. The

men’s ruana will generally have no

fringes. Women’s ruanas may have

fringes and are sometimes slit from

the neck opening to the edge to permit the wearer to put it on as a cape.

Children’s ruanas sometimes have a

color around the opening with draw

strings for a close fit. These garments are sometimes known as ponchos.

15. Rugs, hand woven or hand knotted:

These rugs are usually made from

wool yarns and are either wholly

hand woven or hand knotted. They

are generally square or rectangular in

shape and are in colorful designs.

16. Macrame Shawl: Hand made shawls

wholly of macrame lace or with

macrame lace edge. The shawls are

in various colors with the typical long

fringe around the lower edges.

17. Sweaters and Cardigans, hand knitted:

Wholly hand knitted sweaters and

cardigans, generally a bulky knit with

decorative vertical patterns.

18. Table Cloths and Napkins, embroidered: Table cloths and napkins cut

and hemmed by hand and extensively embroidered by hand.

19. Colorful waist band: Hand plaited waist

bands in multicolors. These are

sometimes sewn together to form

wide bands.

20. Wall hangings, rectangular: A colorful

wall hanging made from coarse yarns

connected to decorative crudely

woven bands. These are hand made

and come in various sizes.

21. Wall hanging, tree: Tree shaped wall

hangings formed by connecting together crudely woven bands in graduated sizes with coarse yarns to form

the outline of a tree. The wall hanging is decorated with small balls of

cotton fiber.

22. Indian Color Knapsack: Knapsack

made with belt like woven or plaited

strap and multicolored bag, to be

worn on the shoulder.

23. Pillow Covers, Embroidered by hand:

Covers for throw pillow containing extensive hand embroidery covering 50

percent or more of the outer surface

of the cover.

24. Hand made macrame handbags

Annex A—Colombian Traditional

Folklore Handicraft Textile Products—Continued

25. Molas: Hand appliqued layers of different colors, forming geometric and

abstract designs, made of cotton material.

26. Santa Rosa Tapestries, Bedspreads

and Pillowcases: Tapestries, bedspreads and pillowcases, of vivid colors, with hand appliqued figures

forming landscapes and folk scenes,

made of cotton material.

[FR Doc. 95–30097 Filed 12–8–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–F

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

DOE Request for an Additional 45 Days

to Respond to Defense Nuclear

Facilities Safety Board

Recommendation 95–2, Safety

Management

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Section 315(b) of the Atomic

Energy Act of 1954, as amended, 42

U.S.C. 2286d(b) requires the Department

of Energy to publish its response to

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

recommendations for notice and public

comment. The Defense Nuclear

Facilities Safety Board published

Recommendation 95–2 concerning

Safety Management in the Federal

Register on October 19, 1995 (60 FR

54065). The Department of Energy

(DOE) hereby publishes notice of a

request for 45-days additional time to

respond to Recommendation 95–2 as

allowed by the statute cited above.

DATES: Comments, data, views, or

arguments concerning the Secretary’s

request are due on or before January 10,

1996.

ADDRESSES: Send comments, data,

views, or arguments concerning the

Secretary’s response to: Defense Nuclear

Facilities Safety Board, 625 Indiana

Avenue, N.W., Suite 700, Washington,

DC 20004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Peter N. Brush, Principal Deputy,

Assistant Secretary for Environmental,

Safety and Health, Department of

Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue,

S.W., Washington, D.C. 20585.

Issued in Washington, D.C., on December

1, 1995.

Mark B. Whitaker,

Departmental Representative to the Defense

Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.

The Secretary of Energy