[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 125 (Thursday, June 27, 1996)] [Notices] [Page 33482] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 96-16461] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Secretary of Agriculture's Special Cotton Import Quota Announcement Number 18 AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: A special import quota for upland cotton equal to 42,728,074 kilograms (94,199,355 pounds) is established in accordance with section 136(b) of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (the 1996 Act) under Presidential Proclamation 6301 of June 7, 1991. The quota is referenced as the Secretary of Agriculture's Special Cotton Import Quota Announcement Number 18, effective July 1, 1996, and is set forth in subheading 9903.52.18, subchapter III, chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS). DATES: The quota is effective as of July 1, 1996, and applies to upland cotton purchased not later than September 28, 1996 (90 days from the date the quota was established), and entered into the United States not later than December 27, 1996 (180 days from the date the quota was established). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janise Zygmont, Farm Service Agency, United States Department of Agriculture, Ag Code 0515, PO Box 2415, Washington, DC 20013-2415 or call (202) 720-8841. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 1996 Act requires that a special import quota be determined and announced immediately if, for any consecutive 10-week period, the Friday through Thursday average price quotation for the lowest-priced U.S. growth, as quoted for Middling 1\3/32\ inch cotton, C.I.F. northern Europe (U.S. Northern Europe price), adjusted for the value of any cotton user marketing certificates issued, exceeds the Northern Europe price by more than 1.25 cents per pound. This condition was met during the consecutive 10-week period that ended May 16, 1996. Therefore, a quota referenced as the Secretary of Agriculture's Special Cotton Import Quota Announcement Number 18, effective July 1, 1996, is hereby established. Because there are only 20 subheadings available for designating upland cotton special import quotas in subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTS, only 20 such quotas can be in effect at one time. Each subheading corresponds to a Secretary of Agriculture's Special Cotton Import Quota Announcement specifying that a particular amount of upland cotton may be imported during a particular 180-day period. The special import quota described in this notice cannot take effect until HTS subheading 9903.52.18 becomes available upon the expiration of the Secretary of Agriculture's Special Cotton Import Quota Announcement Number 18, effective January 3, 1996, through June 30, 1996. Therefore, the special import quota described in this notice opens on July 1, 1996, the day after the previous special import quota 18 ends. The quota amount, 42,728,074 kilograms (94,199,355 pounds), is equal to 1 week's consumption of upland cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally-adjusted average rate of the most recent 3 months for which data are available--January 1996 through March 1996. The special import quota identifies a quantity of imports that is not subject to the over- quota tariff rate of a tariff-rate quota. The quota is not divided by staple length or by country of origin. The quota does not affect existing tariff rates or phytosanitary regulations. The quota does not apply to Extra Long Staple cotton. Authority: Sec. 136, P.L. 104-127 and U.S. Note 6(a), Subchapter III, Chapter 99 of the HTS. Signed at Washington, D.C., on June 20, 1996. Dan Glickman, Secretary. [FR Doc. 96-16461 Filed 6-26-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-05-M