[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 250 (Friday, December 27, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68244-68245]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-32988]


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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 Macau

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) 927-6709. 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 Macau 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 applied to 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 61 FR 66263, published on December 17, 1996).

[[Page 68245]]

    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 Macau 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Levels in Group I                                                       
219.......................................  2,778,300 square meters.    
225.......................................  9,724,050 square meters.    
313.......................................  6,945,750 square meters.    
314.......................................  1,157,625 square meters.    
315.......................................  3,472,875 square meters.    
317.......................................  6,945,750 square meters.    
326.......................................  2,778,300 square meters.    
333/334/335/833/834/835...................  249,644 dozen of which not  
                                             more than 139,253 dozen    
                                             shall be in Categories 333/
                                             335/833/835.               
336/836...................................  59,170 dozen.               
338.......................................  321,377 dozen.              
339.......................................  1,346,132 dozen.            
340.......................................  304,183 dozen.              
341.......................................  196,192 dozen.              
342.......................................  88,756 dozen.               
345.......................................  57,069 dozen.               
347/348/847...............................  760,690 dozen.              
350/850...................................  62,657 dozen.               
351/851...................................  71,006 dozen.               
359-C/659-C \1\...........................  355,028 kilograms.          
359-V \2\.................................  118,343 kilograms.          
611.......................................  2,778,300 square meters.    
625/626/627/628/629.......................  6,945,750 square meters.    
633/634/635...............................  559,795 dozen.              
638/639/838...............................  1,646,202 dozen.            
640.......................................  123,944 dozen.              
641/840...................................  213,028 dozen.              
642/842...................................  117,205 dozen.              
645/646...................................  290,537 dozen.              
647/648...................................  553,484 dozen.              
659-S \3\.................................  125,317 kilograms.          
Group II                                                                
400-469, as a group.......................  1,413,938 square meters     
                                             equivalent.                
Sublevel in Group II                                                    
445/446...................................  76,227 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 359-V: only HTS numbers 6103.19.2030, 6103.19.9030,        
  6104.12.0040, 6104.19.8040, 6110.20.1022, 6110.20.1024, 6110.20.2030, 
  6110.20.2035, 6110.90.9044, 6110.90.9046, 6201.92.2010, 6202.92.2020, 
  6203.19.1030, 6203.19.9030, 6204.12.0040, 6204.19.8040, 6211.32.0070  
  and 6211.42.0070.                                                     
\3\ Category 659-S: only HTS numbers 6112.31.0010, 6112.31.0020,        
  6112.41.0010, 6112.41.0020, 6112.41.0030, 6112.41.0040, 6211.11.1010, 
  6211.11.1020, 6211.12.1010 and 6211.12.1020.                          

    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. 96-32988 Filed 12-26-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F