[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 252 (Tuesday, December 31, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69080-69081]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-33200]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Wool and Man-
Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Bulgaria

December 24, 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: 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.

    Pursuant to the Uruguay Round Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round 
Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC), the Bilateral Textile 
Agreement, effected by exchange of notes dated April 22 and May 2, 
1996, between the Governments of the United States and Bulgaria 
establishes limits for the period beginning January 1, 1997 and 
extending through December 31, 1997.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the

[[Page 69081]]

Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1997 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).
    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 Uruguay Round Agreement on 
Textiles and Clothing, but are designed to assist only in the 
implementation of certain of their provisions.
Philip J. Martello,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
December 24, 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, the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing 
(ATC) and the Bilateral Textile Agreement, effected by exchange of 
notes dated April 22 and May 2, 1996 between the Governments of the 
United States and Bulgaria; 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 wool and man-made fiber textile products in the following 
categories, produced or manufactured in Bulgaria 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 limit     
------------------------------------------------------------------------
410/624...................................  2,282,937 square meters of  
                                             which not more than 823,698
                                             square meters shall be in  
                                             Category 410.              
433.......................................  12,300 dozen.               
435.......................................  22,146 dozen.               
442.......................................  14,350 dozen.               
444.......................................  67,164 numbers.             
448.......................................  25,345 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.
    The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment in the 
future pursuant to the provisions of the Uruguay Round Agreements 
Act, the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing 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,
Philip J. Martello,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.
[FR Doc. 96-33200 Filed 12-30-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F