[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 24, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67773-67774]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-32618]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcement of Import Restraint Limits and Guaranteed Access 
Levels for Certain Cotton, Wool, Man-Made Fiber and Other Vegetable 
Fiber Textiles and Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Jamaica

December 18, 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 Jamaica 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 limits and guaranteed access 
levels for the period January 1, 1997 through December 31, 1997.
    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). 
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 6049, published on February 27, 1987; 52 FR 26057, 
published on July 10, 1987; 54 FR 50425, published on December 6, 1989, 
and 61 FR 49439, published on September 20, 1996.
    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.
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
December 18, 1996.

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

    Dear Commissioner: Pursuant to 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, man-made fiber and other vegetable fiber textiles and 
textile products in the following categories, produced or 
manufactured in Jamaica and exported during the twelve-month period 
beginning on January 1, 1997 and extending through December 31, 
1997, in excess of the following levels of restraint:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Category                   Twelve-month restraint limit 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
331/631................................  621,149 dozen pairs.           
338/339/638/639........................  1,224,743 dozen.               
340/640................................  572,721 dozen of which not more
                                          than 484,611 dozen shall be in
                                          shirts made from fabrics with 
                                          two or more colors in the warp
                                          and/or the filling in         
                                          Categories 340-Y/640-Y \1\.   
341/641................................  719,163 dozen.                 
345/845................................  177,456 dozen.                 
347/348/647/648........................  1,321,957 dozen.               
352/652................................  1,975,252 dozen.               
445/446................................  52,304 dozen.                  
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Category 340-Y: only HTS numbers 6205.20.2015, 6205.20.2020,        
  6205.20.2046, 6205.20.2050 and 6205.20.2060; Category 640-Y: only HTS 
  numbers 6205.30.2010, 6205.30.2020, 6205.30.2050 and 6205.30.2060.    

    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.
    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.
    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), 54 FR 50425 (December 6, 1989) and 61 FR 49439 (September 20, 
1996), you are directed to establish guaranteed access levels for 
properly certified cotton, man-made fiber and other vegetable fiber 
textile products in the following categories which are assembled in 
Jamaica from fabric formed and cut in the United States and re-
exported to the United States from Jamaica during the twelve-month 
period which begins on January 1, 1997 and extends through December 
31, 1997:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Category                     Guaranteed Access Level    
------------------------------------------------------------------------
331/631................................  1,320,000 dozen pairs.         
336/636................................  125,000 dozen.                 
338/339/638/639........................  1,500,000 dozen.               
340/640................................  300,000 dozen.                 
341/641................................  375,000 dozen.                 
342/642................................  200,000 dozen.                 

[[Page 67774]]

                                                                        
345/845................................  50,000 dozen.                  
347/348/647/648........................  2,000,000 dozen.               
352/652................................  10,500,000 dozen.              
447....................................  30,000 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 19, 1987 shall 
be denied entry unless the Government of Jamaica 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.
    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,
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc.96-32618 Filed 12-23-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F