[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 61 (Tuesday, March 31, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 15386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8433]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Adjustment of Import Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool, Man-Made 
Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Textile Products Produced 
or Manufactured in the People's Republic of China

March 25, 1998.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs reducing 
limits.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: April 1, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet Heinzen, 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 current limits for certain categories are being reduced for 
carryforward used.
    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). Also see 
62 FR 67827, published on December 30, 1997.
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
March 25, 1998.

Commissioner of Customs,
Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

    Dear Commissioner: This directive amends, but does not cancel, 
the directive issued to you on December 22, 1997, by the Chairman, 
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That 
directive concerns imports of certain cotton, wool, man-made fiber, 
silk blend and other vegetable fiber textiles and textile products, 
produced or manufactured in China and exported during the twelve-
month period beginning on January 1, 1998 and extending through 
December 31, 1998.
    Effective on April 1, 1998, you are directed to reduce the 
limits for the following categories, as provided for under the terms 
of the current bilateral agreement between the Governments of the 
United States and the People's Republic of China:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Adjusted twelve-month limit
                 Category                                \1\            
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sublevels in Group I                                                    
200.......................................  695,664 kilograms.          
338/339...................................  2,322,334 dozen of which not
                                             more than 1,710,282 dozen  
                                             shall be in Categories 338-
                                             S/339-S \2\.               
434.......................................  12,870 dozen.               
634.......................................  616,473 dozen.              
647.......................................  1,509,065 dozen.            
651.......................................  752,440 dozen of which not  
                                             more than 134,891 dozen    
                                             shall be in Category 651-B 
                                             \3\.                       
670-L \4\.................................  15,574,738 kilograms.       
Group IV                                                                
832, 834, 838, 839, 843, 850-852, 858 and   11,368,204 square meters    
 859, as a group.                            equivalent.                
Level not in a group                                                    
870.......................................  32,770,353 kilograms.       
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The limits have not been adjusted to account for any imports        
  exported after December 31, 1997.                                     
\2\ Category 338-S: all HTS numbers except 6109.10.0012, 6109.10.0014,  
  6109.10.0018 and 6109.10.0023; Category 339-S: all HTS numbers except 
  6109.10.0040, 6109.10.0045, 6109.10.0060 and 6109.10.0065.            
\3\ Category 651-B: only HTS numbers 6107.22.0015 and 6108.32.0015.     
\4\ Category 670-L: only HTS numbers 4202.12.8030, 4202.12.8070,        
  4202.92.3020, 4202.92.3031, 4202.92.9025 and 6307.90.9907.            

    The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has 
determined that these actions fall within the foreign affairs 
exception to 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. 98-8433 Filed 3-30-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F