Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04YEREVAN2026
2004-09-14 09:34:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:  

LETTER ROM THE MINISTER OF TRADE TO CUSTOMS

Tags:  ECON EAID ETRD AM 
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UNCLAS YEREVAN 002026 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EB/CBA, EUR/CACEN, EUR/ACE
USTR FOR KATRIN KUHLMAN
DHS FOR JANET LABUDA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EAID ETRD AM
SUBJECT: LETTER ROM THE MINISTER OF TRADE TO CUSTOMS
COMMISISONER BONNER


UNCLAS YEREVAN 002026

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EB/CBA, EUR/CACEN, EUR/ACE
USTR FOR KATRIN KUHLMAN
DHS FOR JANET LABUDA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EAID ETRD AM
SUBJECT: LETTER ROM THE MINISTER OF TRADE TO CUSTOMS
COMMISISONER BONNER



1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs transmitted the
following letter to the Embassy September 13, 2004. The
original English language text follows.

BEGIN TEXT:

03/09/2004

Mr. Robert C. Bonner
Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Department of Homeland Security
Government of the United States of America
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC
20229

Dear Commissioner Bonner:

I am writing to you to express my concerns with
respect to US Customs treatment of exports to the
United States of clothing articles manufactured by an
Armenian textile manufacturer, Hayas Group OJSC, a
respected Armenian company which for more than ten
years has manufactured clothing articles in Armenia
for export to many countries around the world.
Indeed, I am surprised at what appears to be
prejudicial treatment by US Customs officials of an
Armenian exporter given the long-standing close
relations between the Governments of the Republic of
Armenia and the United States of America.

At this time, US Customs officials in New York and
Los Angeles are detaining a number of shipments
exported by Hayas Group to Hilltop Industries Inc. of
Irwindale, California. The US Customs officials
requested information to confirm that the clothing
articles exported from Armenia by Hayas Group were
manufactured in Armenia, and not simply transshipped
through Armenia from other countries. Hayas Group
has provided extensive information to Hilltop
Industries to confirm the manufacturing operations it
has conducted in Armenia in the production of these
clothing articles, which Hilltop Industries has in
turn furnished to the US Customs officials. The US
Customs officials, however, are apparently not
satisfied and have made oral requests for additional
information but, apparently, they have refused to
give any written confirmation of the specific
information they require.

I consider this situation to be most distressing,
especially given the significant resources the
Government of the United States has invested in the
development of a viable market economy in Armenia. I
request therefore that you review this matter with
your officials to ensure that Hayas Group is not
unfairly prevented from exporting to the United
States the clothing articles it manufactures in
Armenia.

I will be pleased to provide to you any additional
information you may require. Thank you very much
for your attention to this matter.

Yours truly,

/s/

Karen Chshmaritian
Minister of Trade and Economic Development Republic of
Armenia

Cc: The Honorable John M. Evans
Ambassador of the United States to Armenia

END TEXT

EVANS