[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 5786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2735]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of an Import Restraint Limit for Certain Cotton and 
Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Laos

January 29, 1998.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing 
a limit.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: February 4, 1998.

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 this 
limit, 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 Governments of the United States and the Lao People's 
Democratic Republic have agreed to amend and extend the Bilateral 
Textile Agreement of September 15, 1994 for three consecutive one-year 
periods, beginning on January 1, 1998 and extending through December 
31, 2000.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1998 limit for Categories 340/
640.
    This limit may be revised if Laos becomes a member of the World 
Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Laos.
    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 62 FR 66057, published on December 17, 1997).
D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
January 29, 1998.

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 Bilateral Textile Agreement of 
September 15, 1994, as amended and extended, between the Governments 
of the United States and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, you 
are directed to prohibit, effective on February 4, 1998, entry into 
the United States for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for 
consumption of cotton and man-made fiber textile products in 
Categories 340/640, produced or manufactured in Laos and exported 
during the twelve-month period beginning on January 1, 1998 and 
extending through December 31, 1998, in excess of 159,536 dozen \1\.
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    \1\ The limit has not been adjusted to account for any imports 
exported after December 31, 1997.
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    The limit set forth above is subject to adjustment pursuant to 
the current bilateral agreement between the Governments of the 
United States and the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
    Products in the above categories exported during 1997 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limit for that year (see 
directive dated November 4, 1996) to the extent of any unfilled 
balance. In the event the limit established for that period has been 
exhausted by previous entries, such products shall be charged to the 
limit set forth in this directive.
    This limit may be revised if Laos becomes a member of the World 
Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Laos.
    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 this action falls 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. 98-2735 Filed 2-3-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F