U.S. and Macau (1998)

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Executive Office of the President
Washington, D.C.
20508

USTR Press Releases are available on the USTR home page at WWW.USTR.GOV.
They are also available through the USTR Fax Retrieval System at 202-395-4809.

For Immediate Release
Friday, September 11, 1998

Contact:
98-82
Jay Ziegler
Helaine Klasky
(202)395-3230

CUSTOMS ACTIONS REGARDING TEXTILE IMPORTS FROM MACAU

United States Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky announced today, "As part of an Administrative initiative to strengthen controls to prevent illegal textile transshipment, the United States will take preventive action pertaining to imports of certain textile products from Macau. These actions are being taken to ensure that imports of certain textile products from Macau conform to country of origin requirements for importation into the U.S. The United States government has reason to be particularly concerned about illegal textile transshipment activity, and these actions are part of a broader initiative undertaken to ensure the integrity of our textile quota arrangements."

The measures announced today are:

• a new "watch list" which will advise importers that Customs is monitoring imports of the following textile products with Macau claimed as the country of origin: special purpose fabric in category 229, babies garments in category 239, robes and dressing gowns in category 350, other cotton apparel in category 359, man-made fiber knit shirts and blouses in category 638/639, man-made fiber blouses in category 641, silk blend and non-cotton vegetable fiber shirts and blouses in category 840 and underwear in category 352/652;

• Customs will post to the public bulletin board a list of the names of all factories in Macau that are known to be currently closed and unable to produce. This notice will advise importers that any shipments from these companies will be detained until production records are presented to substantiate production and a confirmation is made as to the status of the factory; and

• Customs will issue a message to ports of entry to require that no shipments or imports of certain goods in category 352/652 (underwear) be released into the commerce of the U.S. without sufficient documentary proof showing that origin-conferring production took place in Macau.