| Title: | HONDURAS VISA ARRANGEMENT |
|---|---|
| Date: | 1996-07-30 |
| To: | abi |
| Links: | previous, next |
TO : ALL ABI BROKERS.
FROM : CARLA ZZ-DONOFRIO
SUBJECT : HONDURAS VISA ARRANGEMENT
DATE : 07/30/96
JULY 25, 1996
SPE-2 FO:TC:I:E JMP
CATEGORY: TEX
TO : ALL PORT DIRECTORS, CUSTOMS MANAGEMENT CENTER (CMC)
DIRECTORS AND STRATEGIC TRADE CENTER (STC) DIRECTORS
FROM : DIRECTOR, TRADE COMPLIANCE DIVISION
PASS TO : ALL IMPORT SPECIALISTS, NATIONAL IMPORT SPECIALISTS,
ENTRY SPECIALISTS, INSPECTORS, INTERNATIONAL TRADE
SPECIALISTS, IMPORTERS, BROKERS AND OTHER INTERESTED
PARTIES.
SUBJECT : TBT-96-079-HONDURAS VISA ARRANGEMENT
COUNTRY : HONDURAS
SCOPE:
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 JUNE 25, 1996 BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE
UNITED STATES AND THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS; AND IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE PROVISIONS OF EXECUTIVE ORDER 11651 OF MARCH 3, 1972, AS
AMENDED, YOU ARE DIRECTED TO PROHIBIT, EFFECTIVE ON AUGUST 1,
1996, 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 AND MAN-MADE FIBER
TEXTILE PRODUCTS IN CATEGORIES 352, 652 AND 435, INCLUDING MERGED
AND PART CATEGORIES, PRODUCED OR MANUFACTURED IN HONDURAS AND
EXPORTED FROM HONDURAS ON AND AFTER AUGUST 1, 1996 FOR WHICH THE
GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS 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. MERCHANDISE
EXPORTED ON OR AFTER A MUTUALLY AGREED DATE SHALL REQUIRE A VISA
SPECIFYING THE NEW DESIGNATION.
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 OR SUCCESSOR DOCUMENT. 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:
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 COUNTRY CODE SPECIFIED BY THE
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION (ISO) (THE
CODE FOR HONDURAS IS HN). THESE FIRST TWO CODES SHALL BE
FOLLOWED BY THE NUMBER 1 AND A FIVE-DIGIT SERIAL NUMBER
IDENTIFYING THE SHIPMENT, E.G., 6HN112345.
THE DATE OF ISSUANCE. THE DATE OF ISSUANCE SHALL BE THE DAY,
MONTH AND YEAR ON WHICH THE VISA WAS ISSUED.
THE ORIGINAL SIGNATURE OF THE ISSUING OFFICIAL OF THE
GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.
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 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 ASSEMBLE THE
ARTICLE 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 HONDURAS, OR A VISA WAIVER
MAY BE ISSUED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AT THE REQUEST
OF THE EMBASSY OF HONDURAS 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 HONDURAS SUBJECT TO THIS ARRANGEMENT
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 TEXTILE PRODUCTS WHICH HAS BEEN ASSEMBLED IN
HONDURAS WHOLLY FROM COMPONENTS CUT IN THE UNITED STATES FROM
U.S. FORMED FABRIC WHICH ARE SUBJECT TO THE CARIBBEAN BASIN
TEXTILE SPECIAL ACCESS PROGRAM AS SET OUT IN THE ARRANGEMENT
SHALL BE SO CERTIFIED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF
HONDURAS. 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:
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 HONDURAS, WHICH IS HN. THESE
FIRST TWO CODES SHALL BE FOLLOWED BY THE NUMBER 2 AND A
FIVE-DIGIT SERIAL NUMBER IDENTIFYING THE SHIPMENT, E.G.,
6HN212345.
THE DATE OF ISSUANCE. THE DATE OF ISSUANCE SHALL BE THE
DAY, MONTH AND YEAR IN WHICH THE VISA WAS ISSUED.
THE ORIGINAL SIGNATURE OF THE ISSUING OFFICIAL OF THE
GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS.
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:
A VALID CERTIFICATION BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF
HONDURAS.
A COMPLETED CBI EXPORT DECLARATION (U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
COMMERCE FORM ITA 370P OR SUCCESSOR DOCUMENT) WITH A PROPER
DECLARATION BY THE HONDURAS ASSEMBLER THAT THE ARTICLES WERE
SUBJECT TO ASSEMBLY IN HONDURAS FROM PARTS DESCRIBED ON THAT
CBI EXPORT DECLARATION; AND
A PROPER IMPORTERS 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 CARIBBEAN BASIN TEXTILE SPECIAL ACCESS
PROGRAM THEN A NEW CERTIFICATION FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF THE
REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS 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 HONDURAS 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 CARIBBEAN BASIN TEXTILES SPECIAL ACCESS 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 CARIBBEAN BASIN
SPECIAL ACCESS TEXTILE PROGRAM MAY NOT APPEAR ON THE SAME
INVOICE.
ACTION:
IN ANY INSTANCES WHERE THE VISA STAMP APPEARS OTHER THAN
WHAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED IN THIS TELEX, ENTRY SHOULD BE
DENIED. CURRENT GUIDELINES SHOULD BE FOLLOWED IF IMPORT
SPECIALISTS NEED FURTHER CONFIRMATION THROUGH THE EMBASSY OF
HONDURAS.
INFORMATION:
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS MATTER, PLEASE DO
NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT CARLA DONOFRIO AT (202) 927-0424 OR
JUNE PERGOLA AT (202)927-0705.
PHILIP METZGER