CSMS Message: 00-001584

TO: ALL ABI BROKERS.
FROM: HQ QUOTA

SUBJECT: VBT-2001-1: ELVIS EFFECTIVE FO

DATE: 12/22/2000

1357091
DECEMBER 22, 2000

CATEGORY: TEX

TO: DIRECTORS, FIELD OPERATIONS
PORT DIRECTORS

FROM: DIRECTOR, TRADE PROGRAMS

RE: VBT-2000-1: CONSOLIDATION AND AMENDMENT OF
EXPORT VISA REQUIREMENTS TO INCLUDE THE
ELECTRONIC VISA INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR CERTAIN
COTTON, WOOL, MAN-MADE FIBER, SILK BLEND AND
OTHER VEGETABLE FIBER TEXTILES AND TEXTILE
PRODUCTS PRODUCED OR MANUFACTURED IN CAMBODIA

PASS TO: ASSISTANT PORT DIRECTORS, NATIONAL IMPORT
SPECIALIST(S), IMPORT SPECIALISTS, INSPECTORS,
ENTRY SUPERVISORS AND SPECIALISTS, BROKERS AND
IMPORTERS

A CITA DIRECTIVE DATED, DECEMBER 20, 2000, EFFECTIVE ON
JANUARY 1, 2001, DIRECTED U.S. CUSTOMS TO PROHIBIT 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 TEXTILE
AND TEXTILE PRODUCTS IN CATEGORIES 200-239, 300-369, 400-469,
600-670, 800-899, INCLUDING PART CATEGORIES AND MERGED CATEGORIES,
PRODUCED OR MANUFACTURED IN CAMBODIA AND EXPORTED ON AND AFTER
JANUARY 1, 2001 FOR WHICH THE GOVERNMENT OF CAMBODIA HAS NOT ISSUED
AN APPROPRIATE EXPORT VISA AND ELECTRONIC VISA INFORMATION SYSTEM
(ELVIS) TRANSMISSION FULLY DESCRIBED BELOW. SHOULD ADDITIONAL
CATEGORIES, PART-CATEGORIES OR MERGED CATEGORIES BECOME SUBJECT TO
IMPORT QUOTAS, THE ENTIRE CATEGORY(S), PART-CATEGORY(S) OR MERGED
CATEGORY(S) SHALL BE INCLUDED IN THE COVERAGE OF THIS ARRANGEMENT.

A VISA MUST ACCOMPANY EACH SHIPMENT OF THE AFOREMENTIONED TEXTILE
PRODUCTS. A CIRCULAR STAMPED MARKING IN BLUE INK WILL APPEAR ON
THE FRONT OF THE ORIGINAL 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.

VISA REQUIREMENTS

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 NUMERIC DIGIT FOR THE
LAST DIGIT OF THE YEAR OF EXPORT, FOLLOWED BY THE TWO
CHARACTER ALPHA CODE SPECIFIED BY THE INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION (ISO) (THE CODE FOR CAMBODIA IS
"KH"), AND A SIX DIGIT SERIAL NUMBER IDENTIFYING THE SHIPMENT;
E.G., 1KH123456.

2. THE DATE OF ISSUANCE. THE DATE OF ISSUANCE SHALL BE THE
DAY, MONTH AND YEAR ON WHICH THE VISA WAS ISSUED.

3. THE PRINTED NAME AND ORIGINAL SIGNATURE OF THE ISSUING
OFFICIAL AUTHORIZED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CAMBODIA.

4. THE CORRECT CATEGORY(S), PART CATEGORY(S), MERGED
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 OR SUCCESSOR DOCUMENTS AND LISTED IN ANNEX B TO
THIS ARRANGEMENT SHALL BE REPORTED IN THE SPACES PROVIDED
WITHIN THE VISA STAMP (E.G., "CAT. 340-510 DOZ").

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. (FOR
EXAMPLE, QUOTA CATEGORY 340/640 MAY BE VISAED AS "CATEGORY 340/640"
OR IF THE SHIPMENT CONSISTS SOLELY OF CATEGORY 340 MERCHANDISE, THE
SHIPMENT MAY BE VISAED AS "CATEGORY 340," BUT NOT AS
"CATEGORY 640"). IF, HOWEVER, A MERGED QUOTA CATEGORY SUCH AS
340/640 HAS A QUOTA SUBLIMIT ON CATEGORY 340, THEN THERE MUST BE A
"CATEGORY 340" VISA FOR THE SHIPMENT IF IT INCLUDES CATEGORY 340
MERCHANDISE.

U.S. CUSTOMS SHALL NOT PERMIT ENTRY IF THE SHIPMENT DOES NOT HAVE A
VISA, OR IF THE VISA NUMBER, DATE OF ISSUANCE, PRINTED NAME OF THE
SIGNER, SIGNATURE, CATEGORY, QUANTITY OR UNITS OF QUANTITY ARE
MISSING, INCORRECT, 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 AND ONLY THE AMOUNT ENTERED SHALL BE
CHARGED TO ANY APPLICABLE QUOTA.

THE COMPLETE NAME AND ADDRESS OF A COMPANY PERFORMING THE MAJOR
PRODUCTION STEPS IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF THE TEXTILE
PRODUCTS COVERED BY THE VISA SHALL BE PROVIDED ON THE TEXTILE VISA
DOCUMENT.

THE CATEGORIES, QUANTITIES AND DATE OF EXPORT SHALL BE THOSE
DETERMINED BY THE U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE AND THOSE LISTED IN ANNEX B
OF THIS ARRANGEMENT. THE U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE CLASSIFIES ALL
IMPORTS INTO THE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF THE UNITED STATES IN
COMPLIANCE WITH U.S. LAWS AND REGULATIONS.

IF THE VISA IS NOT ACCEPTABLE THEN A NEW CORRECT VISA MUST BE
OBTAINED FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF CAMBODIA OR A VISA WAIVER MAY BE
ISSUED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AT THE REQUEST OF THE
CAMBODIAN EMBASSY FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF CAMBODIA 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 ANY QUOTA
REQUIREMENT. VISA WAIVERS WILL ONLY BE ISSUED FOR CLASSIFICATION
PURPOSES OR FOR ONE-TIME SPECIAL PURPOSE SHIPMENTS THAT ARE NOT PART
OF AN ONGOING COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE.

IF THE VISAED INVOICE IS DEFICIENT, THE U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE WILL
NOT RETURN THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT AFTER ENTRY, BUT WILL PROVIDE THE
IMPORTER WITH A CERTIFIED COPY OF THAT VISAED INVOICE FOR USE IN
OBTAINING A NEW CORRECT VISAED INVOICE OR A VISA WAIVER.

ONLY THE ACTUAL QUANTITY IN THE SHIPMENT AND THE CORRECT CATEGORY
WILL BE CHARGED TO THE APPLICABLE RESTRAINT LEVEL.

IF A SHIPMENT FROM CAMBODIA HAS BEEN ALLOWED ENTRY INTO THE COMMERCE
OF THE UNITED STATES WITH EITHER AN INCORRECT VISA OR NO VISA AND
REDELIVERY IS REQUESTED BUT IS NOT MADE, THE SHIPMENT WILL BE
CHARGED TO THE CORRECT CATEGORY LIMIT WHETHER OR NOT A REPLACEMENT
VISA OR VISA WAIVER IS PROVIDED.

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES WILL MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE
GOVERNMENT OF CAMBODIA, UPON REQUEST, INFORMATION ON THE AMOUNTS
AND CATEGORIES INVOLVED FOR ALL ITEMS SUBJECT TO QUOTA ADMINISTERED
BY THE U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE.

ELVIS REQUIREMENTS

A. EACH ELVIS MESSAGE WILL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

I. THE VISA NUMBER AS DEFINED ABOVE.

II. THE DATE OF ISSUANCE. THE DATE OF ISSUANCE SHALL BE THE DAY,
MONTH AND YEAR ON WHICH THE VISA WAS ISSUED.

III. THE CORRECT CATEGORY(S), PART CATEGORY(S), MERGED CATEGORY(S)
QUANTITY(S) AND UNIT(S) OF QUANTITY OF 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 OR SUCCESSOR DOCUMENTS AND LISTED
IN ANNEX B TO THIS ARRANGEMENT.

IV. THE QUANTITY OF THE SHIPMENT IN THE CORRECT UNITS OF QUANTITY.

V. THE MANUFACTURER ID NUMBER (MID). THE MID SHALL BEGIN WITH
"KH" FOLLOWED BY THE FIRST THREE CHARACTERS FROM EACH OF THE
FIRST TWO WORDS OF THE NAME OF THE MANUFACTURER, FOLLOWED BY
THE LARGEST NUMBER ON THE ADDRESS LINE UP TO THE FIRST FOUR
DIGITS, FOLLOWED BY THREE LETTERS FROM THE CITY NAME.

B. ENTRY OF A SHIPMENT SHALL NOT BE PERMITTED:

I. IF AN ELVIS TRANSMISSION HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED FOR THE
SHIPMENT FROM CAMBODIA;

II. IF THE ELVIS TRANSMISSION FOR THAT SHIPMENT IS MISSING ANY OF
THE FOLLOWING:

A. VISA NUMBER
B. CATEGORY OR PART CATEGORY
C. QUANTITY
D. UNIT OF MEASURE
E. DATE OF ISSUANCE
F. MANUFACTURER ID NUMBER;

III. IF THE ELVIS TRANSMISSION FOR THE SHIPMENT DOES NOT MATCH THE
INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY THE IMPORTER WITH REGARD TO ANY OF THE
FOLLOWING:

A. VISA NUMBER
B. CATEGORY OR PART CATEGORY
C. UNIT OF MEASURE;

IV. IF THE QUANTITY BEING ENTERED IS GREATER THAN THE QUANTITY
TRANSMITTED;

V. IF THE VISA NUMBER HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN USED, EXCEPT IN THE
CASE OF A SPLIT SHIPMENT, OR CANCELED, EXCEPT WHEN AN ENTRY
HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE USING THE VISA NUMBER.

C. A NEW, CORRECT ELVIS TRANSMISSION FROM CAMBODIA IS REQUIRED
BEFORE A SHIPMENT THAT HAS BEEN DENIED ENTRY FOR ONE OF THE
CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED ABOVE WILL BE RELEASED.

D. NOTWITHSTANDING THE PREVIOUS PARAGRAPH, A VISA WAIVER MAY BE
ACCEPTED, AT THE DISCRETION OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, IN
LIEU OF AN ELVIS TRANSMISSION, IF THE SHIPMENT QUALIFIES AS A
ONE-TIME SPECIAL PURPOSE SHIPMENT THAT IS NOT PART OF AN ONGOING
COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE.

E. SHIPMENTS WILL NOT BE RELEASED FOR FORTY-EIGHT HOURS IN THE EVENT
OF A SYSTEM FAILURE. IF SYSTEM FAILURE EXCEEDS FORTY-EIGHT HOURS,
FOR THE REMAINING PERIOD OF THE SYSTEM FAILURE, THE U.S. CUSTOMS
SERVICE WILL RELEASE SHIPMENTS ON THE BASIS OF THE PAPER VISAED
DOCUMENT.

F. IF A SHIPMENT FROM CAMBODIA IS ALLOWED ENTRY INTO THE COMMERCE
THE UNITED STATES WITH AN INCORRECT VISA, NO VISA, AN INCORRECT
ELVIS TRANSMISSION, OR NO ELVIS TRANSMISSION, AND REDELIVERY IS
REQUESTED BUT IS NOT MADE, THE SHIPMENT WILL BE CHARGED TO THE
CORRECT CATEGORY LIMIT WHETHER OR NOT A REPLACEMENT VISA OR WAIVER
IS PROVIDED OR A NEW ELVIS MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED.

G. THE U.S. CUSTOMS WILL PROVIDE THE GOVERNMENT OF CAMBODIA WITH A
REPORT ON VISA UTILIZATION WHICH IS ACCESSIBLE AT ANY TIME. THIS
REPORT WILL CONTAIN:

A. VISA NUMBER
B. CATEGORY NUMBER
C. UNIT OF MEASURE
D. QUANTITY CHARGED TO QUOTA
E. ENTRY NUMBER
F. ENTRY LINE NUMBER

OTHER PROVISIONS

THE DATE OF EXPORT IS THE ACTUAL DATE THE MERCHANDISE FINALLY LEAVES
THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. FOR MERCHANDISE EXPORTED BY CARRIER, THIS IS
THE DAY ON WHICH THE CARRIER LAST DEPARTS THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.

MERCHANDISE IMPORTED FOR THE PERSONAL USE OF THE IMPORTER AND NOT
FOR RESALE, REGARDLESS OF VALUE, AND PROPERLY MARKED COMMERCIAL
SAMPLE SHIPMENTS VALUED $800 OR LESS DO NOT REQUIRE A VISA OR AN
ELVIS TRANSMISSION FOR ENTRY AND SHALL NOT BE CHARGED TO AGREEMENT
LEVELS, IF APPLICABLE.

THE GOVERNMENT OF CAMBODIA SHALL PROVIDE THE GOVERNMENT OF THE
UNITED STATES WITH THREE ORIGINAL, CLEAR, REPRODUCIBLE COPIES OF
THE VISA STAMP WHICH SHALL BE THE STAMP DESIGNATED FOR USE
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PERIOD THE VISA ARRANGEMENTS IN EFFECT, AND
THREE ORIGINALS OF THE SIGNATURES OF THE OFFICIALS AUTHORIZED TO
SIGN VISAS. THE STAMP, AND ANY SUBSEQUENT CHANGES THERETO, MUST BE
APPROVED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES. THE GOVERNMENT OF
CAMBODIA SHALL NOTIFY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES AT LEAST
FORTY-FIVE DAYS PRIOR TO A CHANGE IN THE OFFICIALS AUTHORIZED TO
SIGN THE VISA.

EXCEPT AS PROVIDED FOR ABOVE, ANY SHIPMENT WHICH IS NOT ACCOMPANIED
BY A VALID AND CORRECT VISA AND ELVIS TRANSMISSION SHALL BE DENIED
ENTRY BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES UNLESS THE GOVERNMENT
OF CAMBODIA AUTHORIZES THE ENTRY AND ANY CHARGES TO THE AGREEMENT
LEVELS.

AFTER A SIX-MONTH TEST PHASE IS COMPLETED, BOTH GOVERNMENTS WILL
CONDUCT A JOINT ASSESSMENT AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE
ELIMINATION OF THE VISA STAMP ON THE COMMERCIAL INVOICE WITHIN
60 DAYS UNLESS EITHER SIDE PRESENTS OBJECTIONS.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS TELEX, CONTACT
TERRIE MOBLEY AT (202) 927-5385 IN THE QUOTA/VISA MANAGEMENT
BRANCH.

ELIZABETH G. DURANT

CC: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FIELD OPERATIONS