NOTICES

                        DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

                               [C-301-001]

    Leather Wearing Apparel From Colombia; Preliminary Results of Administrative
                       Review of Suspension Agreement

                         Thursday, January 26, 1984

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 AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Commerce.

 ACTION: Notice of Preliminary Results of Administrative Review of Suspension
 Agreement.

 SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce has conducted an administrative review of the
 agreement suspending the countervailing duty investigation on leather wearing
 apparel from Colombia. The review covers the period July 1, 1982 through June 30,
 1983.

 As a result of the review, we preliminarily find that Confecciones Amazonas Orinoco, a
 Colombian exporter of leather wearing apparel to the United States, has complied with
 the terms of the suspension agreement. Interested parties are invited to comment on
 these preliminary results.

 EFFECTIVE DATE: January 26, 1984.

 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Silver or Joseph Black, Office of
 Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce,
 Washington, D.C. 20230; telephone: (202) 377-2786.

 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: .

 Background

 On June 9, 1983, the Department of Commerce ("the Department") published in the
 Federal Register (48 FR 26655) the final results of its last administrative review of the
 agreement suspending the countervailing duty investigation on leather wearing
 apparel from Colombia (46 FR 19963, April 2, 1981) and announced its intent to
 conduct the next administrative review. As required by section 751 of the Tariff Act of
 1930 ("the Tariff Act"), the Department has now conducted that review.

 Scope of the Review

 Imports covered by the review are shipments of Colombian men's, boys', women's, girls'
 and infants' leather coats and jackets and other leather wearing apparel (such as vests,
 pants and shorts), as well as parts and pieces thereof. Such merchandise is currently
 classifiable under items 791.7620, 791.7640 and 791.7660 of the Tariff Schedules of the
 United States Annotated. The review covers the one exporter of Colombian leather
 wearing apparel to the United States, Confecciones Amazonas Orinoco ("CAO"), the
 signatory to the suspension agreement.
 The review covers the period July 1, 1982 through June 30, 1983 and one program: The
 Tax Reimbursement Certificate Program ("CAT").

 Analysis of Program

 Under the CAT program, exporters of leather wearing apparel received tax certificates
 equal to a percentage of the domestic value-added content of each shipment. Since our
 last review, the value-added content as a percentage of total value declined slightly.
 Effective January 1, 1983 the CAT rate applicable to the value-added content increased
 from 12 percent to 15 percent.
 CAO received no benefits under the CAT program for shipments entering the United
 States during the review period.

 Preliminary Results of the Review

 As a result of our review, we preliminarily determine that CAO has complied with the
 terms of the suspension agreement for the period July 1, 1982 through June 30, 1983.
 The agreement can remain in force only so long as shipments covered by the agreement
 account for at least 85 percent of exports of such merchandise to the United States. Our
 information indicates that CAO accounted for at least 85 percent of imports into the
 United States from Colombia during the review period.
 Interested parties may submit written comments on these preliminary results within 30
 days or the date of the publication of this notice and may request disclosure and/or a
 hearing within 10 days of the date of publication. Any hearing, if requested, will be held
 45 days after the date of publication or the first workday thereafter. Any request for an
 administrative protective order must be made no later than 5 days after the date of
 publication. The Department will publish the final results of this administrative review,
 includng the results of its analysis of any issues raised in such written comments or at a
 hearing.
 This administrative review and notice are in accordance with section 751(a)(1) of the
 Tariff Act (19 U.S.C 1675(a)(1)) and § 355.41 of the Commerce Regulations (19 CFR
 355.41).
 Dated: January 19, 1984.

 Alan F. Holmer,

 Deputy Assistant Secretary, Import Administration.

 [FR Doc. 84-2184 Filed 1-25-84; 8:45 am]

 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-M