AGENCY:

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION:

Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs extending a grace period on export visa and quota requirements for certain textile costumes.

SUMMARY:

On March 1, 2002, the U.S. Customs Service published a notice in the Federal Register informing the public that certain imported textile costumes, entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption after March 1, 2002, are to be classified as wearing apparel in accordance with the Court of International Trade decision in Rubies Costume Company v. United States (67 FR 9504). This announcement applied to imported textile costumes of the character covered by the Customs decision published in the Federal Register on December 4, 1998 (see 63 FR 67170). On March 4, 2002, the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) published a notice and letter to the Commissioner of Customs in the Federal Register allowing a grace period before imposing quota and visa requirements on goods described above that are exported before April 1, 2002, and entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption before June 1, 2002 (see 67 FR 9706). On March 22, 2002, CITA published a notice and letter to the Commissioner of Customs extending that grace period, exempting from export visa and quota requirements goods described above that are exported before June 1, 2002, and entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption before August 1, 2002. (see 67 FR 13318).

On June 3, after a review, the United States Government made a final decision that it would appeal the U.S. Court of International Trade's decision in the case of Rubies Costume Company v. United States. In view of that appeal, CITA has decided to direct the U.S. Customs Service to exempt imported textile costumes of the character covered by the Customs decision published in the Federal Register on December 4, 1998 from quota and visa requirements until further notice. CITA will revisit this issue when a decision on the appeal is issued.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

June 25, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Martin Walsh, International Trade Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-3400.