[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 240 (Thursday, December 12, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65375-65376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-31537]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of Import Restraint Limits and Guaranteed Access 
Levels for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products 
Produced or Manufactured in the Dominican Republic

December 6, 1996.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

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

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1997.

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); Uruguay Round Agreements Act.

    The import restraint limits and Guaranteed Access Levels (GALs) for 
textile products, produced or manufactured in the Dominican Republic 
and exported during the period January 1, 1997 through December 31, 
1997 are based on limits notified to the Textiles Monitoring Body 
pursuant to the Uruguay Round Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round 
Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC).
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1997 limits and GALs.
    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).

[[Page 65376]]

Information regarding the 1997 CORRELATION will be published in the 
Federal Register at a later date.
    Requirements for participation in the Special Access Program are 
available in Federal Register notices 51 FR 21208, published on June 
11, 1986; 52 FR 6594, published on March 4, 1987; 52 FR 26057, 
published on July 10, 1987; and 54 FR 50425, published on December 6, 
1989.
    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 ATC, but are designed to 
assist only in the implementation of certain of their provisions.
D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
December 6, 1996.

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

    Dear Commissioner: Pursuant the section 204 of the Agricultural 
Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854), the Uruguay Round 
Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and 
Clothing (ATC); and in accordance with the provisions of Executive 
Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended, you are directed to 
prohibit, effective on January 1, 1997, entry into the United States 
for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of 
cotton, wool and man-made fiber textile products in the following 
categories, produced or manufactured in the Dominican Republic and 
exported during the twelve-month period beginning on January 1, 1997 
and extending through December 31, 1997, in excess of the following 
limits:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Category                         Restraint limit        
------------------------------------------------------------------------
338/638................................  793,000 dozen.                 
339/639................................  943,669 dozen.                 
340/640................................  816,350 dozen.                 
342/642................................  574,484 dozen.                 
347/348/647/648........................  1,954,182 dozen of which not   
                                          more than 1,032,396 dozen     
                                          shall be in Categories 647/   
                                          648.                          
351/651................................  978,664 dozen.                 
352/652................................  10,070,000 dozen.              
433....................................  21,400 dozen.                  
442....................................  72,658 dozen.                  
443....................................  132,928 numbers.               
444....................................  72,658 numbers.                
448....................................  37,430 dozen.                  
633....................................  119,783 dozen.                 
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Imports charged to these category limits for the period January 
1, 1996 through December 31, 1996 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.
    Additionally, under the terms of the Special Access Program, as 
set forth in 51 FR 21208 (June 11, 1986), 52 FR 26057 (July 10, 
1987), and 54 FR 50425 (December 6, 1989), effective on January 1, 
1997, guaranteed access levels are being established for properly 
certified textile products assembled in the Dominican Republic from 
fabric formed and cut in the United States in cotton, wool and man-
made fiber textile products in the following categories for the 
period January 1, 1997 through December 31, 1997:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Category                     Guaranteed access level    
------------------------------------------------------------------------
338/638................................  1,150,000 dozen.               
339/639................................  1,150,000 dozen.               
340/640................................  1,000,000 dozen.               
342/642................................  1,000,000 dozen.               
347/348/647/648........................  8,050,000 dozen.               
351/651................................  1,000,000 dozen.               
352/652................................  30,000,000 dozen.              
433....................................  21,000 dozen.                  
442....................................  65,000 dozen.                  
443....................................  50,000 numbers.                
444....................................  30,000 numbers.                
448....................................  40,000 dozen.                  
633....................................  60,000 dozen.                  
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Any shipment for entry under the Special Access Program which is 
not accompanied by a valid and correct certification and Export 
Declaration in accordance with the provisions of the certification 
requirements established in the directive of February 25, 1987, as 
amended, shall be denied entry unless the Government of the 
Dominican Republic authorizes the entry and any charges to the 
appropriate specific limits. Any shipment which is declared for 
entry under the Special Access Program but found not to qualify 
shall be denied entry into the United States.
    The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment in the 
future according to the provisions of the Uruguay Round Agreements 
Act, the ATC, and any administrative arrangements notified to the 
Textiles Monitoring Body.
    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 U.S.C.553(a)(1).
    Sincerely,
D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.
[FR Doc. 96-31537 Filed 12-11-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F