[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 112 (Monday, June 10, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29356-29357]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-14509]



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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Establishment of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Wool and 
Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Bulgaria

June 4, 1996.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

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

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EFFECTIVE DATE: June 12, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Naomi Freeman, 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).

    The Governments of the United States and the Republic of Bulgaria 
agreed to extend and amend their current Bilateral Textile Agreement, 
effected by exchange of notes dated December 2 and December 23, 1993, 
for three consecutive one-year periods beginning on January 1, 1996 and 
extending through December 31, 1998.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1996 limits.
    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). Also see 
60 FR 65292, 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.
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
June 4, 1996.

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

    Dear Commissioner: This directive cancels and supersedes the 
directive dated January 16, 1996 from the Chairman, Committee for 
the Implementation of Textile Agreements, which directed you to 
count imports for consumption and withdrawals from warehouse for 
consumption of wool textile products in Category 444, produced or 
manufactured in Bulgaria and exported during the period November 29, 
1995 through November 28, 1996. Import charges already made to 
Category 444 shall be retained.
    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, effected by exchange of notes dated December 2, 1993 and 
December 23, 1993, between the Governments of the United States and 
the Republic of Bulgaria, as amended and extended; and in accordance 
with the provisions of Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as 
amended, you are directed to prohibit, effective on June 12, 1996, 
entry into the United States for consumption and withdrawal from 
warehouse for consumption of wool and man-made fiber textile 
products in the following categories, produced or manufactured in 
Bulgaria and exported during the twelve-month period beginning on 
January 1, 1996 and extending through December 31, 1996, in excess 
of the following levels of restraint:

[[Page 29357]]



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                 Category                      Twelve-month limit \1\   
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410/624...................................  2,123,662 square meters of  
                                             which not more than 813,529
                                             square meters shall be in  
                                             Category 410.              
433.......................................  12,000 dozen.               
435.......................................  21,606 dozen.               
442.......................................  14,000 dozen.               
444.......................................  65,526 numbers.             
448.......................................  24,727 dozen.               
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\1\ The limits have not been adjusted to account for any imports        
  exported after December 31, 1995.                                     

    Textile products in Categories 433, 442 and 624 which have been 
exported to the United States prior to January 1, 1996 shall not be 
subject to this directive.
    Textile products in Categories 433, 442 and 624 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.
    Imports charged to these category limits, except Categories 433, 
442, 444 and 624, for the period January 1, 1995 through December 
31, 1995 shall be charged against those levels of restraint to the 
extent of any unfilled balances. In the event the limits established 
for that period have been exhausted by previous entries, such goods 
shall be subject to the levels set forth in this directive.
    For the import period January 1, 1996 through February 29, 1996, 
there are zero charges for Categories 433 and 624. You are directed 
to charge 139 dozen to the limit established in this directive for 
Category 442 for the January 1, 1996 through February 29, 1996 
import period. Additional adjustments will be provided at a later 
date.
    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,
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 96-14509 Filed 6-7-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F