[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 17, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 16761]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-9379]



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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Settlement on Transshipment Charges, Establishment, Amendment and 
Adjustment of Import Limits for Certain Cotton and Man-Made Fiber 
Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Pakistan

April 9, 1996.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs announcing 
settlement on transshipment charges, establishing, amending and 
adjusting limits.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: April 16, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ross Arnold, 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-
6714. 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); Uruguay Round Agreements Act.

    In a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated March 22, 1996, the 
Governments of the United States and Pakistan agreed that transshipment 
charges for bed sheets in Category 361 in the amount of 346,483 numbers 
will be deducted from the charges already made to Pakistan's 1995 quota 
level.
    Also, the two governments agreed to establish annual limits, 
prorated this year beginning March 22, 1996, for Categories 666-P 
(pillowcases, excluding bolster cases) and Category 666-S (sheets) and 
to increase the 1996 base levels for Categories 360 and 361.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish limits for Categories 666-P and 
666-S for the prorated period beginning on March 22, 1996 and extending 
through December 31, 1996 and to increase the current limits for 
Categories 360 and 361. The amended limits for Categories 360 and 361 
reflect reduction of carryforward used in 1995, in the case of Category 
360, and recrediting of unused carryforward, in the case of Category 
361. In a separate unpublished letter, the Commissioner of Customs is 
directed to deduct 346,483 numbers from the 1995 quota charges for 
Category 361.
    Textile products in Categories 666-P and 666-S shall continue to 
require a Category 666 visa. Changes to the current visa requirements 
will be published in the Federal Register at a later date.
    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 609 FR 65299, published on December 19, 1995). Also see 
60 FR 40824, published on August 10, 1995; and 60 FR 62393, published 
on December 6, 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 Uruguay Round Agreements Act, the Uruguay Round Agreement on 
Textiles and Clothing and the MOU dated March 22, 1996, but are 
designed to assist only in the implementation of certain of their 
provisions.
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

April 9, 1996.
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 November 29, 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 Pakistan and exported 
during the twelve-month period which began on January 1, 1996 and 
extends through December 31, 1996.
    Effective on April 16, 1996, you are directed to increase the 
current limits for Categories 360 and 361 and to establish limits 
for Categories 666-P and 666-S for the period beginning on March 22, 
1996 and extending through December 31, 1996, pursuant to a 
Memorandum of Understanding dated March 22, 1996 between the 
Governments of the United States and Pakistan, and as provided for 
under the terms of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, the Uruguay 
Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Category                             Limit \1\         
------------------------------------------------------------------------
360.......................................  4,170,345 numbers.          
361.......................................  5,000,000 numbers.          
666-P \1\.................................  529,508 kilograms.          
666-S \2\.................................  2,803,279 kilograms.        
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The limits have not been adjusted to account for any imports        
  exported after December 31, 1995 (Categories 360 and 361); and March  
  21, 1996 (Categories 666-P and 666-S).                                
\2\ Category 666-P: only HTS numbers 6302.22.1010, 6302.22.1020,        
  6302.22.2010, 6302.32.1010, 6302.32.1020, 6302.32.2010 and            
  6302.32.2020.                                                         
\3\ Category 666-S: only HTS numbers 6302.22.1030, 6302.22.1040,        
  6302.22.2020, 6302.32.1030, 6302.32.1040, 6302.32.2030 and            
  6302.32.2040.                                                         

    Textile products in Categories 666-P and 666-S which have been 
exported to the United States prior to March 22, 1996 shall not be 
subject to this directive.
    Textile products in Categories 666-P and 666-S which have been 
released from the custody of the U.S. Customs Service under the 
provisions of 19 U.S.C. 1448(b) or 1484(a)(1) prior to the effective 
date of this directive shall not be denied entry under this 
directive.
    The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has 
determined that these actions fall within the foreign affairs 
exception to the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).

Sincerely,

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc. 96-9379 Filed 4-16-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-M