REPUBLIC ACT NO. 2353 - AN ACT TO FURTHER AMEND SECTION ONE OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED ONE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED NINETY-TWO, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED SIXTY-EIGHT, ENTITLED "AN ACT EXEMPTING TEXTILES MADE OF ONE HUNDRED PER CENT PHILIPPINE RAMIE FIBER FROM THE PAYMENT OF DUTY AND THE SPECIAL IMPORT TAX TO PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RAMIE INDUSTRY.”

Be it enacted by the Senate and Home of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Section one of Republic Act Numbered One thousand three hundred ninety-two, as amended by Republic Act Numbered One thousand seven hundred sixty-eight, is further amended to read as follows:

"SECTION 1. Ramie threads, yarns, textiles, and industrial fabrics hereinafter also called ramie goods, when processed abroad from one hundred per cent ramie fiber grown in the Philippines and bought direct from the farmer-producers or from any of their cooperatives by any government agency designated by the President of the Philippines and by it exported abroad in exchange therefor when their importation is made through the government agency so designated by the President shall be exempt from the payment of customs duties under the tariff laws in force: Provided, That such tax-exempt importation herein contemplated shall be allocated proportionately among the original farmer-producers or any of their cooperatives from whom the government agency herein specified obtained the ramie fiber for processing abroad: Provided, further, That only ramie fibers produced in excess of the local requirement of ten thousand eight hundred (10,800) two-picul bales per annum plus any portion of the said ten thousand eight hundred (10,800) two-picul bales which cannot be absorbed by local manufacturers due to unforeseen or fortuitous events shall be entitled to the benefits of this Act: And provided, finally, That should existing facilities of local manufacturers either through expansion or construction of new mills or otherwise, require ramie fibers in excess of ten thousand eight hundred (10,800) two-picul bales, and the same is certified to by the National Economic Council, such excess requirement should first be filled up before the benefits of this Act could be availed of.

"The exemption above granted shall cease on December thirty-first, nineteen hundred sixty or at any earlier date upon proclamation by the President, upon recommendation of the National Economic Council, to the effect that sufficient degumming, spinning and/or weaving mills to process the entire production of ramie fiber have been established in the country." SEC. 2. No dollar allocation shall be granted to the producers, their cooperatives or to the Agricultural Credit and Cooperative Financing Administration for the purpose of carrying out the purposes of this Act unless upon by the Philippine Embassy in Japan that, no processor in Japan agrees to process Philippine ramie fiber unless paid in dollars.

SEC. 3. The title of Republic Act Numbered One thousand three hundred ninety-two is amended to read as follows:

"An Act exempting textiles made of one hundred per cent Philippine ramie fiber from the payment of duty and to provide incentives for the development of the ramie industry." SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved, June 20, 1959.