[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 250 (Friday, December 27, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68246-68247]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-32981]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool, 
Man-Made Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Textiles and 
Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Sri Lanka

December 20, 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: January 1, 1997.

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 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 for textile products, produced or 
manufactured in Sri Lanka 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. The limits for 
certain categories have been reduced for carryforward and special 
carryforward applied to the 1996 limits.

[[Page 68247]]

    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 61 FR 66263, published on December 17, 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 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 20, 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, silk blend and other vegetable fiber 
textiles and textile products in the following categories, produced 
or manufactured in Sri Lanka 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
237.......................................  278,533 dozen.              
314.......................................  4,158,097 square meters.    
331/631...................................  2,649,715 dozen pairs.      
333/633...................................  52,430 dozen.               
334/634...................................  583,983 dozen.              
335/835...................................  273,018 dozen.              
336/636/836...............................  264,397 dozen.              
338/339...................................  1,228,822 dozen.            
340/640...................................  1,066,116 dozen.            
341/641...................................  1,865,959 dozen of which not
                                             more than 1,243,972 dozen  
                                             shall be in Category 341   
                                             and not more than 1,243,972
                                             dozen shall be in Category 
                                             641.                       
342/642/842...............................  638,986 dozen.              
345/845...................................  175,318 dozen.              
347/348/847...............................  1,104,864 dozen.            
350/650...................................  121,505 dozen.              
351/651...................................  301,932 dozen.              
352/652...................................  1,245,828 dozen.            
359-C/659-C \1\...........................  1,268,605 kilograms.        
360.......................................  1,468,404 numbers.          
363.......................................  11,878,602 numbers.         
369-D \2\.................................  944,815 kilograms.          
369-S \3\.................................  787,343 kilograms.          
434.......................................  7,246 dozen.                
435.......................................  15,528 dozen.               
440.......................................  10,352 dozen.               
611.......................................  5,751,248 square meters.    
635.......................................  342,604 dozen.              
638/639/838...............................  927,672 dozen.              
644.......................................  520,740 numbers.            
645/646...................................  208,295 dozen.              
647/648...................................  1,116,807 dozen.            
840.......................................  275,901 dozen.              
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Category 359-C: only HTS numbers 6103.42.2025, 6103.49.8034,        
  6104.62.1020, 6104.69.8010, 6114.20.0048, 6114.20.0052, 6203.42.2010, 
  6203.42.2090, 6204.62.2010, 6211.32.0010, 6211.32.0025 and            
  6211.42.0010; Category 659-C: only HTS numbers 6103.23.0055,          
  6103.43.2020, 6103.43.2025, 6103.49.2000, 6103.49.8038, 6104.63.1020, 
  6104.63.1030, 6104.69.1000, 6104.69.8014, 6114.30.3044, 6114.30.3054, 
  6203.43.2010, 6203.43.2090, 6203.49.1010, 6203.49.1090, 6204.63.1510, 
  6204.69.1010, 6210.10.9010, 6211.33.0010, 6211.33.0017 and            
  6211.43.0010.                                                         
\2\ Category 369-D: only HTS numbers 6302.60.0010, 6302.91.0005 and     
  6302.91.0045.                                                         
\3\ Category 369-S: only HTS number 6307.10.2005.                       

    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.
    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,
D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.
[FR Doc. 96-32981 Filed 12-26-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F