[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] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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