Visas will Not be Required for Nepal WTO-Integrated Textile Categories for Exports on/after April 23, 2004, Etc
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice on the effect that Nepal's April 23, 2004 World Trade Organization (WTO) membership will have on the quota and visa requirements imposed on certain of its textile and apparel products.
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According to CBP, effective April 23, 2004 Nepal will be entitled to the benefits of the previous stages of WTO integration. As a result, Nepal textile and apparel products in categories that have been fully or partially integrated will no longer require a visa from Nepal if exported on or after April 23, 2004.
According to CBP, Nepal's WTO membership will not immediately impact its categories that are subject to quota restrictions, as they are all scheduled for Stage 4 integration, which will be implemented on January 1, 2005. (Nepal's quota categories are 336/636, 340, 341, 342/642, 347/348, 363, 369S (only HTS 6307.10.2005), 640, and 641).
CBP notice (QBT-04-011, dated 04/13/04) available at http://www.cbp.gov/ImageCache/cgov/content/import/textiles/qbt/qbt2004/2004_2d011_2edoc/v1/2004_2d011.doc
BP Note
The relevant categories for Nepal that have already been integrated into the WTO and are therefore not subject to visa requirements for exports on or after April 23, 2004 are: 222, 223, 229, 239pt., 330, 331pt., 349, 350, 353, 354, 359pt., 369pt., 600, 606, 607, 621, 622, 630, 631pt., 632, 649, 650, 653, 654, 659pt., 665, 666pt., 669, and 670. (For a list of the specific HTS numbers pertaining to each partially integrated category, see CBP's document available at http://www.cbp.gov/quotas/2003/visa_rpt.htm.)
CBP sources state that they expect to update the visa footnote in CBP's textile status report for Nepal in order to indicate which categories will remainsubject to visa requirements on and after April 23, 2004.