CSMS Message: 98-001198

TO : ALL ABI BROKERS.
FROM : CARLA ZZ-DONOFRIO

SUBJECT : NEW VISA AGREEMENT-CAMBODIA

DATE : 12/16/1998

DECEMBER 4, 1998

SPE-2-FO:TC:I:E CDD

TO : ALL PORT DIRECTORS, CUSTOMS MANAGEMENT CENTER
(CMC) DIRECTORS AND STRATEGIC TRADE CENTER (STC)
DIRECTORS

FROM : DIRECTOR, TRADE COMPLIANCE

PASS TO : ALL IMPORT SPECIALISTS NATIONAL IMPORT SPECIALISTS,
ENTRY OFFICERS, INSPECTORS, INTERNATIONAL TRADE
SPECIALISTS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES

SUBJECT: TBT-98-087-ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EXPORT VISA
ARRANGEMENT FOR CERTAIN COTTON, WOOL, MAN-MADE
FIBER, SILK BLEND AND OTHER VEGETABLE FIBER
TEXTILES AND TEXTILE PRODUCTS PRODUCED OR MANUFACTURED
IN CAMBODIA

COUNTRY: CAMBODIA

BACKGROUND:

A CITA DIRECTIVE, DATED DECEMBER 14, 1998, ESTABLISHED A NEW
EXPORT VISA ARRANGEMENT FOR CERTAIN 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, PRODUCED OR MANUFACTURED IN CAMBODIA
AND EXPORTED FROM CAMBODIA ON AND AFTER JANUARY 1, 1999.
HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE A GRACE PERIOD IN WHICH PRODUCTS
EXPORTED DURING THE PERIOD JANUARY 1, 1999 THROUGH JANUARY
31, 1999 WILL NOT BE DENIED ENTRY FOR LACK OF A VISA. ALL
PRODUCTS EXPORTED ON AND AFTER FEBRUARY 1, 1999 MUST BE
ACCOMPANIED BY AN APPROPRIATE EXPORT VISA.

ACTION:

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 CODE SPECIFIED BY THE INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION (ISO) (THE CODE FOR THE
CAMBODIA IS ``KH''), AND A SIX DIGIT NUMERICAL SERIAL NUMBER
IDENTIFYING THE SHIPMENT; E.G., 9KH123456.

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

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

THE CORRECT CATEGORY(S), MERGED CATEGORY(S), PART
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 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. VISAED QUANTITIES ARE
ROUNDED TO THE CLOSEST WHOLE NUMBER IF THE QUANTITY EXPORTED
EXCEEDS ONE WHOLE UNIT, BUT IS LESS THAN THE NEXT WHOLE
UNIT. HALF UNITS ARE ROUNDED UP. IF THE QUANTITY VISAED IS
LESS THAN ONE UNIT, THE SHIPMENT IS ROUNDED UPWARDS TO ONE
UNIT. 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 347-348 MAY BE VISAED AS
``CATEGORY 347-348'' OR IF THE SHIPMENT CONSISTS SOLELY OF
CATEGORY 347 MERCHANDISE, THE SHIPMENT MAY BE VISAED AS
``CATEGORY 347'' BUT NOT AS ``CATEGORY 348.''

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, 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 ACTUALLY INVOLVED
IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF THE TEXTILE PRODUCT COVERED
BY THE VISA SHALL BE PROVIDED ON THE TEXTILE VISA DOCUMENT.

IF THE VISA IS NOT ACCEPTABLE THEN A NEW CORRECT VISA OR A
VISA WAIVER MUST BE PRESENTED TO THE U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE
BEFORE ANY PORTION OF THE SHIPMENT WILL BE RELEASED. A VISA
WAIVER MAY BE ISSUED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AT
THE REQUEST OF THE GOVERNMENT OF CAMBODIA THROUGH ITS
EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON, DC. THE WAIVER, IF USED, ONLY WAIVES
THE REQUIREMENT TO PRESENT A VISA WITH THE SHIPMENT. IT
DOES NOT WAIVE THE QUOTA REQUIREMENTS. 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 A CERTIFIED COPY OF THAT VISAED INVOICE FOR USE IN
OBTAINING A NEW CORRECT ORIGINAL VISAED INVOICE, OR A VISA
WAIVER.

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 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 CANNOT BE MADE, THE SHIPMENT WILL BE CHARGED
TO THE CORRECT CATEGORY LIMIT WHETHER OR NOT A REPLACEMENT
VISA OR WAIVER IS PROVIDED.

MERCHANDISE IMPORTED FOR THE PERSONAL USE OF THE IMPORTER
AND NOT FOR RESALE, REGARDLESS OF VALUE, AND PROPERLY MARKED
COMMERCIAL SAMPLE SHIPMENTS VALUED AT U.S. $800 OR LESS DO
NOT REQUIRE AN EXPORT VISA FOR ENTRY AND SHALL NOT BE
CHARGED TO EXISTING QUOTA LEVELS.

INFORMATION:

IF YOU REQUIRE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT CARLA
D'ONOFRIO AT (202) 297-0424, JUNE PERGOLA AT (202) 927-0705,
OR BOB DORSETT AT (202) 927-7002, COMMERCIAL ENFORCEMENT.

PHILIP METZGER