WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TMB/N/343
3 February 1999
(99-0386)
Textiles Monitoring Body
AGREEMENT ON TEXTILES AND CLOTHING
Communication from the United States
The Textiles Monitoring Body has received th e following notification from the United States
and is circulating it to WTO Members for their information.G/TMB/N/343
Page 2
Executive Office of the President
Office of the United States Trade Representative
Washington D.C. 20508
17 December 1998
The Honourable András Szepesi
ChairmanTextiles Monitoring Body
World Trade Organization
Geneva
Switzerland
Dear Ambassador Szepesi,
Attached for the TMB's information is a Fe deral Register Notice eliminating the visa
requirement for various textile categories consistent with the TMB's decision on this matter.
1  T h e
countries involved have been informed of this fact.
Sincerely,
(Signed) C. Donald Johnson Jr.
Ambassador
Chief Textile Negotiator
                                                     
1 Details on the TMB's decision on this matter are contained in G/TMB/R/45.G/TMB/N/343
Page 3
EXTRACT FROM THE FEDERAL REGISTER
Federal Register: October 7, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 194)]
COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS
Amendment of Export Visa Requi rements for Textile and Clothing
Integrated into GATT 1994 in the Second Stage
September 30, 1998.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
ACTION: Issuing a Directive to the Commissioner  of Customs amending export visa requirements.
EFFECTIVE DATE:   January 1, 1999.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lori E. Mennitt, International Trade Specialist,
Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-3400.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: Section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854);
Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended.
The Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing provides for the integration of
textiles and clothing into GATT 1994. The second stage of the integration commenced on January 1,
1998 (see 60 FR 21075, published on May 1, 1995). In a Federal Register notice published on
October 3, 1997 (62 FR 51832), the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
announced that it had determined that it was necessary to maintain coverage of the currently
applicable visa systems for the products to be integrated in the second stage of the integration and thatan export visa issued by the government of the country of origin would continue to be required for
products integrated on and after January 1, 1998, before entry is permitted into the United States.
Subsequent experience has shown that export visas for these products from World Trade
Organization Member countries are not necessary. In the letter published below, the Chairman ofCITA directs the Commissioner of Customs to no longer require a visa for these products from World
Trade Organization Member countries entered into the United States on and after January 1, 1999.
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).
Troy H. Cribb
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.G/TMB/N/343
Page 4
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
September 30, 1998.
Commissioner of Customs,
Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.
Dear Commissioner: Pursuant to Section 204 of  the Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended
(7 U.S.C. 1854); Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended; and the World Trade
Organization (WTO) Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, you are directed to amend the current visa
requirements for textile and apparel products produced or manufactured in WTO Member countries
(Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Haiti, Hong Kong, India,
Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Pakistan, Panama, Peru,Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago and United Arab
Emirates) that are entered into the United States on and after January 1, 1999 and that are integrated
into GATT 1994 in the second stage of the integration.
Effective on January 1, 1999, export visas no longer will be required for certain textile and
apparel products from WTO member countries.
Textile categories subject to this directive are 229, 330, 349, 353, 354, 432, 439, 465, 630,
632, 653, 654, 665, 832, 839 and 899; and products in 239- babies garments, except diapers; 359, 459,
659 and 859-footwear; 369, 469 and 669-certain waddin g and footwear; and 859-other silk blends and
non-cotton vegetable fiber apparel. A complete list of products subject to this directive is attached to
this letter.
Export visas will continue to be required for non-integrated products and for products
integrated in the second stage produced or manufactured in countries that are not members of theWorld Trade Organization.
For WTO countries, non-integrated products in Categories 239, 359, 459, 659, 859, 369,
469 and 669 shall continue to be visaed in those categories, except if a letter or number designator for
a part-category already exists. All letter or number part category designators shall continue to be used
except for "pt'' (which is currently being used for quo ta purposes only). If an "O'' designation already
exists, then that part-category shall continue to require an "O'' designation, excluding the HTSnumbers for integrated products. The HTS coverage for non-WTO countries shall remain unchanged.
 The Committee for the Implementation of Text ile Agreements has determined that this
action falls within the foreign affairs exception of the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).
Sincerely, Troy H. Cribb, Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile
Agreements.
ATTACHMENTG/TMB/N/343
Page 5
I. Part or Partial Categories Integrated January 1, 1998
Babies Garments and Clothing Accessories, Except Diapers
Category                             1998 HTS
239.................................……………………………………………………..  6111201000
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111202000239.......................................…………………………………………………  6111203000
239....................................... ………………………………………………...  6111204000
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111205000
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111206010
239....................................…………………………………………………...  6111206020
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111206030
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111206040239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111301000
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111302000
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111303000
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111304000
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111305010239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111305015
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111305020
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111305030
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111305040
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111901000239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111902000
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111903000
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111904000
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111905010
239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111905020239.....................................…………………………………………………..  6111905030
239...........…........................…………………………………………………  6111905040
239............….......................…………………………………………………  6209201000
239.............…......................…………………………………………………  6209202000
239..............….....................…………………………………………………  6209203000239...............…....................…………………………………………………  6209205030
239................…...................…………………………………………………  6209205035
239.................…..................…………………………………………………  6209205045
239..................….................…………………………………………………  6209205050
239...................…................…………………………………………………  6209301000
239....................…...............…………………………………………………  6209302000
239.....................…..............…………………………………………………  6209303010239......................….............…………………………………………………  6209303020
239.......................…............…………………………………………………  6209303030
239........................…...........…………………………………………………  6209303040
239.........................…..........…………………………………………………  6209901000
239..........................….........…………………………………………………  6209902000239...........................…........…………………………………………………  6209903010
239............................….......…………………………………………………  6209903015
239.............................…......…………………………………………………  6209903020
239..............................….....…………………………………………………  6209903030G/TMB/N/343
Page 6
Babies Garments and Clothing Accessories, Except Diapers (cont'd)
Category                             1998 HTS
239. ....................................…………………………………………………  6209903040
239…..................................…………………………………………………  6505901515
239... ..................................…………………………………………………  6505902030
239.....................................………………………………………………….  6505905030239.....................................………………………………………………….  6505906030
239.....................................………………………………………………….  6505907030
239.....................................………………………………………………….  6505908045
Footwear
Category                             1998 HTS
359.....................................………………………………………………….  6406991550
459.....................................………………………………………………….  6405206030
459.....................................………………………………………………….  6405206060
459.....................................………………………………………………….  6405206090
459.....................................………………………………………………….  6406991505
459.....................................………………………………………………….  6406991560
659.....................................………………………………………………….  6406991510659.....................................………………………………………………….  6406991540859.....................................………………………………………………….  6406991570
Certain Wadding and Footwear
Category                             1998 HTS
369.....................................………………………………………………….  5601101000
369.....................................……………………………………………….…  5601210090
369.....................................…………………………………………………   5701901020
369.....................................…………………………………………………   5701902020
369.....................................………………………………………………….  5702109020
369.....................................………………………………………………….  5702392010369.....................................………………………………………………….  5702491020
369.....................................………………………………………………….  5702491080
369.....................................………………………………………………….  5702591000
369.....................................………………………………………………….  5702991010
369.....................................………………………………………………….  5702991090369.....................................………………………………………………….  5705002020
369.....................................………………………………………………….  6406107700
469.....................................………………………………………………….  5601290020
469.....................................………………………………………………….  5603941010
469.....................................………………………………………………….  6406109020669.....................................………………………………………………….  5601102000
669.....................................………………………………………………….  5601220090
669.....................................………………………………………………….  5607493000
669.....................................………………………………………………….  5607504000
669.....................................………………………………………………….  6406109040G/TMB/N/343
Page 7
Other Silk Blend and Non-cotton Vegetable Fiber Apparel
Category                             1998 HTS
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6103292082
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6103498060
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6104292087
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6104292090859.....................................…………………………………………………  6104698020
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6110909064
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6110909066
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6112202030
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6112390090
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6112490090
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6114909020859.....................................…………………………………………………  6114909030
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6114909040
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6114909070
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6117809570
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6117909095859.....................................…………………………………………………  6203293080
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6203498010
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6204294090
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6204294092
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6204696070859.....................................…………………………………………………  6204699050
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6211118040
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6211128030
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6211204860
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6211207830859.....................................…………………………………………………  6211399010
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6211399020
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6211399060
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6211399090
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6211499010859.....................................…………………………………………………  6211499020
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6211499060
859.....................................………………………………………………...   6211499070
859.....................................………………………………………………...   6211499090
859.....................................………………………………………………...   6213102000
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6213902000
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6217109550859.....................................…………………………………………………  6217909095
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6505901560
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6505902590
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6505909095
859.....................................…………………………………………………  6505909085G/TMB/N/343
Page 8
II. Whole Categories Integrated January 1, 1998
Category                             1998 HTS
229..................................…………………………...  Special Purpose Fabric
330................................….…………………………  Handkerchiefs
349.................................……………………………  Brassieres and Other Body Supporting Garments353.....................................…………………………  Men's and Boys' Down-filled Coats
354.....................................…………………………  Women's and Girls' Down-filled Coats
432.....................................…………………………  Hosiery
439.....................................…………………………  Babies Garments and Clothing Accessories
465.....................................…………………………  Floor Coverings
630.....................................…………………………  Handkerchiefs
632.....................................…………………………  Hosiery653.....................................…………………………  Men's and Boys' Down-filled Coats
654.................................……………………………  Women's and Girls' Down-filled Coats
665................................…………………………….  Floor Coverings
832................................…………………………….  Hosiery
839................................…………………………….  Babies Garments and Clothing Accessories899................................…………………………….  Other Silk and Vegetable Blend Manufactures
_____________