[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 230 (Monday, December 1, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63526-63527]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-31435]
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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 Romania
November 25, 1997.
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, 1998.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roy Unger, 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: Section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as
amended (7 U.S.C. 1854); Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as
amended.
The import restraint limits for textile products, produced or
manufactured in Romania and exported during the period January 1, 1998
through December 31, 1998 are based on the limits notified to the
Textiles Monitoring Body pursuant to the Uruguay Round Agreement on
Textiles and Clothing (ATC).
Pursuant to the provisions of the ATC, the second stage of the
integration commences on January 1, 1998 (see 60 FR 21075, published on
May 1, 1995). Accordingly, certain previously restrained categories may
have been modified or eliminated and certain limits may have been
revised. Integrated products will no longer be subject to quota. CITA
has informed Romania of its intent to continue the bilateral visa
arrangement for those products.
In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the
Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1998 limits. The limits for
Categories 443 and 647 have been reduced for carryforward applied to
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). Also see
62 FR 51832, published on October 3, 1997. Information regarding the
1998 CORRELATION will be published in the Federal Register at a later
date.
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
November 25, 1997.
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); Executive Order 11651 of
March 3, 1972, as amended; and the Uruguay Round Agreement on
Textiles and Clothing (ATC), you are directed to prohibit, effective
on January 1, 1998, 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
Romania and exported during the twelve-month period beginning on
January 1, 1998 and extending through December 31, 1998, in excess
of the following levels of restraint:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category Twelve-month limit
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313....................................... 1,968,902 square meters.
314....................................... 1,476,676 square meters.
315....................................... 3,553,624 square meters.
333/833................................... 140,743 dozen.
334....................................... 340,192 dozen.
335/835................................... 178,276 dozen.
338/339................................... 769,400 dozen.
340....................................... 335,838 dozen.
341/840................................... 140,743 dozen.
347/348................................... 600,508 dozen.
350....................................... 31,790 dozen.
352....................................... 214,071 dozen.
359pt. \1\................................ 767,866 kilograms.
360....................................... 1,984,379 numbers.
361....................................... 1,322,920 numbers.
369pt. \2\................................ 348,252 kilograms.
410....................................... 172,003 square meters.
433/434................................... 9,527 dozen.
435....................................... 9,965 dozen.
442....................................... 11,541 dozen.
443....................................... 83,772 numbers.
444....................................... 41,970 numbers.
447/448................................... 23,146 dozen.
604....................................... 1,641,933 kilograms.
638/639................................... 704,843 dozen.
640....................................... 96,940 dozen.
647....................................... 92,290 dozen.
648....................................... 69,778 dozen.
666....................................... 140,538 kilograms.
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\1\ Category 359pt.: all HTS numbers except 6406.99.1550.
\2\ Category 369pt.: all HTS numbers except 5601.10.1000, 5601.21.0090,
5701.90.1020, 5701.90.2020, 5702.10.9020, 5702.39.2010, 5702.49.1020,
5702.49.1080, 5702.59.1000, 5702.99.1010, 5702.99.1090, 5705.00.2020
and 6406.10.7700.
The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to
the provisions of the ATC and administrative arrangements notified
to the Textiles Monitoring Body.
Products in the above categories exported during 1997 shall be
charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see
directive dated January 22, 1997) to the extent of any unfilled
balances. In the event the limits established for that period have
been exhausted by previous entries, such products shall be charged
to the limits set forth in this directive.
Products for integration in 1998 listed in the Federal Register
notice published on May 1, 1995 (60 FR 21075) which are exported
during 1997 shall be charged to the applicable limits to the extent
of any unfilled balances. After January 1, 1998, should those
unfilled balances be exhausted, such products shall no longer be
charged to any limit, due to integration of these products into GATT
1994.
CITA has informed Romania of its intent to continue the
bilateral visa arrangement for those products. An export visa will
continue
[[Page 63527]]
to be required, if applicable, for products integrated on and after
January 1, 1998, before entry is permitted 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 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).
Sincerely,
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 97-31435 Filed 11-28-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F