[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 30, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45144-45146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-21558]



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[[Page 45145]]



COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Establishment and Amendment of Import Limits, Amendment of a 
Restraint Period and Announcement of Special Access Levels for Certain 
Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or 
Manufactured in Colombia

August 24, 1995.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing 
and amending limits and announcing special access levels.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: September 1, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Aldrich, International Trade 
Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, (202) 482-4212. For information on the quota status of these 
limits, refer to the Quota Status Reports posted on the bulletin boards 
of each Customs port or call (202) 927-5850. For information on 
embargoes and quota re-openings, call (202) 482-3715.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Authority: Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended; 
section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 
1854).

    Pursuant to the Uruguay Round Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round 
Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC), the limits agreed upon by the 
Governments of the United States and Colombia, as notified to the 
Textiles Monitoring Body (TMB), are being amended to establish limits 
for the period beginning on January 1, 1995 and extending through 
December 31, 1995. Since Colombia is now a member of the World Trade 
Organization (WTO), the limits published in the Federal Register on 
April 5, 1995 (60 FR 17319) are being amended. Pursuant to the ATC, 
these new limits supersede those notified to the TMB contained in the 
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated November 18, 1994 between the 
Governments of the United States and the Republic of Colombia.
    A notice published in Federal Register on June 23, 1995 (60 FR 
32652) announces a limit for cotton and man-made fiber underwear in 
Categories 352/652 for the period March 29, 1995 through March 28, 
1996. A separate notice published on June 23, 1995 (60 FR 32657) 
announces a request to consult with the Government of the Republic of 
Colombia on imports of women's and girls' wool coats in Category 444.
    In Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) dated June 27, 1995 and August 
9, 1995, the Governments of the United States and the Republic of 
Colombia agreed, pursuant to Article 6 of the Uruguay Round Agreement 
on Textiles and Clothing (ATC), to establish a limit for textile 
products in Categories 352/652 and 444, respectively. Textile products 
in Categories 352/652 and 444 shall be covered under the Andean Special 
Access Textile Program for products which are assembled in Colombia 
from fabric wholly formed and cut in the United States that are 
intended for re-export to the United States. The Special Access limit 
for Categories 352/652 and 444 shall be 22,500,000 dozen (restraint 
period April 1, 1995 through December 31, 1995) and 201,000 numbers 
(restraint period January 1, 1995 through December 31, 1995), 
respectively. There is a sublimit of 2,250,000 dozen for Categories 
352/652 and a sublimit of 80,400 numbers for Category 444 for products 
that are not assembled from U.S. formed and cut fabrics.
    The United States and the Republic of Colombia agree to establish a 
visa and Andean Special Access Textile Program certification system to 
be implemented no later than October 1, 1995. Further notice will be 
published in the Federal Register concerning the implementation of the 
visa and certification system.
    Products subject to the Andean Special Access Textile Program shall 
be assembled in Colombia from fabric wholly formed and cut in the 
United States for re-export to the United States under contracts 
governed by HTSUSA 9802.00.8015; or assembled in Colombia from fabric 
wholly formed and cut in the United States, and then subject to 
bleaching, acid washing, stonewashing, garment dyeing, or permapressing 
in Colombia following assembly, for re-export to the United States 
under contracts governed by Statistical Headnote 5 to Chapter 61 of the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Annotated, and 
Statistical Headnote 3 to Chapter 62 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule 
of the United States Annotated, as implemented by the Government of the 
United States requiring the use of the statistical prefix ``H.''
    Shipments of cut parts in Categories 352/652 and 444 must be 
accompanied by a form ITA-370P, signed by a U.S. Customs officer, prior 
to export from the United States for assembly in Colombia in order to 
qualify for entry under the Special Access Program.
    Requirements for participation in the Special Access Program are 
available in Federal Register notices 51 FR 21208, published on June 
11, 1986; 52 FR 26057, published on July 10, 1987; and 54 FR 50425, 
published on December 6, 1989.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to amend the current limits for Categories 315 
and 443; and establish a limit for Categories 352/652 for the period 
April 1, 1995 through December 31, 1995 and Category 444 for the period 
January 1, 1995 through December 31, 1995.
    A description of the textile and apparel categories in terms of HTS 
numbers is available in the CORRELATION: Textile and Apparel Categories 
with the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (see Federal 
Register notice 59 FR 65531, published on December 20, 1994).
    The letter to the Commissioner of Customs and the actions taken 
pursuant to it are not designed to implement all of the provisions of 
the Uruguay Round Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement on 
Textiles and Clothing, but are designed to assist only in the 
implementation of certain of their provisions.
Rita D. Hayes,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
August 24, 1995.

Commissioner of Customs,
Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

    Dear Commissioner: This directive amends, but does not cancel, 
the directive issued to you on March 30, 1995, by the Chairman, 
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That 
directive concerns imports of certain cotton and man-made fiber 
textile products, produced or manufactured in Colombia and exported 
during the twelve-month period beginning on January 1, 1995 and 
extending through December 31, 1995.
    This directive cancels and supersedes the directive dated June 
16, 1995 concerning imports of cotton and man-made fiber underwear 
in Categories 352/652 exported from Colombia during the period March 
29, 1995 through March 28, 1996. This directive cancels and 
supersedes the directive dated June 16, 1995 which directed you to 
count imports in Category 444 for the period May 31, 1995 through 
May 30, 1996.
    Effective on September 1, 1995, you are directed, pursuant to 
the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, the Uruguay Round Agreement on 
Textiles and Clothing (ATC) and Memoranda of Understanding dated 
June 27, 1995 between the Governments of the United States and the 
Republic of Colombia, to establish the restraint period for 
Categories 352/652 to begin on April 1, 1995 and extend through 
December 31, 1995 at a level of 

[[Page 45146]]
2,250,000 dozen \1\. Also pursuant to the ATC and a Memorandum of 
Understanding dated August 9, 1995, you are directed to establish a 
limit for Category 444 for the period January 1, 1995 through 
December 31, 1995 at a level of 201,000 numbers \2\.

    \1\ The limit has not been adjusted to account for any imports 
exported after March 31, 1995.
    \2\ The limit has not been adjusted to account for any imports 
exported after December 31, 1994.
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    Further, you are directed to amend the 1995 limits for the 
following categories:

                                                                        
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              Category                      Twelve-month limit \1\      
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315................................  18,721,985 square meters.          
443................................  122,715 numbers.                   
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\1\ The limits have not been adjusted to account for any imports        
  exported after December 31, 1994.                                     

    In carrying out the above directions, the Commissioner of 
Customs should construe entry into the United States for consumption 
to include entry for consumption into the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico.
    The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has 
determined that these actions fall within the foreign affairs 
exception of the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).
    Sincerely,
Rita D. Hayes,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 95-21558 Filed 8-29-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F