[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1749-1750]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-890]



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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of an Import Restraint Limit for Certain Cotton and 
Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Laos

January 17, 1996.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing 
a limit.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 24, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Helen L. LeGrande, International Trade Specialist, Office of Textiles 
and Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-4212. For 
information on the quota status of this limit, 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.

[[Page 1750]]


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).

    The Governments of the United States and the Lao People's 
Democratic Republic agreed to extend their current agreement for two 
consecutive one-year periods beginning on January 1, 1996 and extending 
through December 31, 1997.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish limits for the 1996 period.
    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 60 FR 65299, published on December 19, 1995).
    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 bilateral agreement, but are designed to assist only in the 
implementation of certain of its provisions.
D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

January 17, 1996.
Commissioner of Customs,
Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

    Dear Commissioner: Under the terms of section 204 of the 
Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854); pursuant to 
the Bilateral Textile Agreement of September 15, 1994 between the 
Governments of the United States and the Lao People's Democratic 
Republic; and in accordance with the provisions of Executive Order 
11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended, you are directed to prohibit, 
effective on January 24, 1996, entry into the United States for 
consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of cotton 
and man-made fiber textile products in Categories 340/640, produced 
or manufactured in Laos and exported during the twelve-month period 
beginning on January 1, 1996 and extending through December 31, 
1996, in excess of 144,704 dozen.
    Imports charged to the limit for Categories 340/640 for the 
period January 1, 1995 through December 31, 1995 shall be charged 
against that level of restraint to the extent of any unfilled 
balance. In the even the limit established for that period has been 
exhausted by previous entries, such goods shall be subject to the 
level set forth in this directive.
    The level set forth above is subject to adjustment in the future 
according to the provisions of the current bilateral agreement 
between the Governments of the United States and the Lao People's 
Democratic Republic.
    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 this action falls within the foreign affairs 
exception to the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).
      Sincerely,
D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.
[FR Doc. 96-890 Filed 1-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-M