[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 248 (Monday, December 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 67624]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33702]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of Import Restraint Limits and Guaranteed Access 
Levels for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products 
Produced or Manufactured in Guatemala

December 19, 1997.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing 
import limits and guaranteed access levels.

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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 and guaranteed access levels for 
textile products, produced or manufactured in Guatemala and exported 
during the periods January 1, 1998 through May 30, 1998 and January 1, 
1998 through December 31, 1998 are based on limits notified to the 
Textiles Monitoring Body pursuant to the Uruguay Round Agreement on 
Textiles and Clothing (ATC) and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 
dated October 19, 1995 between the Governments of the United States and 
Guatemala.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish limits and guaranteed access 
levels for 1998.
    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). 
Information regarding the 1998 CORRELATION will be published in the 
Federal Register at a later date.
    Requirements for participation in the Special Access Program are 
available in Federal Register notice 51 FR 21208, published on June 11, 
1986; 52 FR 26057, published on July 10, 1987; 54 FR 50425, published 
on December 6, 1989; 55 FR 3079, published on January 30, 1990, 62 FR 
49206, published on September 19, 1997.
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
December 19, 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; the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles 
and Clothing (ATC); and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated 
October 19, 1995, 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 and man-made fiber 
textile products in the following categories, produced or 
manufactured in Guatemala and exported during the periods January 1, 
1998 through May 30, 1998 (Categories 342/642) and beginning on 
January 1, 1998 through December 31, 1998, in excess of the 
following restraint limits:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Category                          Restraint limit      
------------------------------------------------------------------------
340/640...................................  1,367,434 dozen.            
342/642...................................  188,442 dozen.              
347/348...................................  1,637,344 dozen.            
351/651...................................  288,453 dozen.              
443.......................................  71,175 numbers.             
448.......................................  44,595 dozen.               
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    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 November 4, 1996) 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.
    Also pursuant to the ATC and the MOU dated October 19, 1995 
between the Governments of the United States and Guatemala; and 
under the terms of the Special Access Program, as set forth in 51 FR 
21208 (June 11, 1986), 52 FR 26057 (July 10, 1987), 54 FR 50425 
(December 6, 1989) and 62 FR 49206 (September 19, 1997), effective 
on January 1, 1998, guaranteed access levels are being established 
for properly certified textile products assembled in Guatemala from 
fabric formed and cut in the United States in the following 
categories which are re-exported to the United States from Guatemala 
during the periods January 1, 1998 through May 30, 1998 (Categories 
342/642) and January 1, 1998 through December 31, 1998:

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                 Category                      Guaranteed Access Level  
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340/640...................................  520,000 dozen.              
342/642...................................  41,096 dozen.               
347/348...................................  1,000,000 dozen.            
351/651...................................  200,000 dozen.              
443.......................................  25,000 numbers.             
448.......................................  42,000 dozen.               
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    Any shipment for entry under the Special Access Program which is 
not accompanied by a valid and correct certification and Export 
Declaration in accordance with the provisions of the certification 
requirements established in the directive of January 24, 1990, as 
amended, shall be denied entry unless the Government of Guatemala 
authorizes the entry and any charges to the appropriate specific 
limit. Any shipment which is declared for entry under the Special 
Access Program but found not to qualify shall be denied entry into 
the United States.
    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. 97-33702 Filed 12-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F