[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 194 (Wednesday, October 7, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53879-53880]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-26803]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of Import Limits for Certain Wool Textile Products 
Produced or Manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

September 30, 1998.
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, 1999.

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, call (202) 927-5850, or refer to the U.S. Customs 
website at http://www.customs.ustreas.gov. 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 Bilateral Textile Agreement of November 7, 1997 between the 
Governments of the United States and the Former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia establishes limits for certain wool textile products, 
produced or manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 
and exported during the period January 1, 1999 through December 31, 
1999.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1999 limits. The limit for 
Category 443 has been reduced for carryforward applied in 1998.
    These limits may be revised if the Former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia becomes a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and 
the United States applies the WTO agreement to the Former Yugoslav 
Republic of Macedonia.
    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). 
Information regarding the 1999 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
September 30, 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 
November 7, 1997 between the Governments of the United States and 
the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, you are directed to 
prohibit, effective on January 1, 1999, entry into the United States 
for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of 
wool textile products in the following categories, produced or 
manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and 
exported during the period beginning on January 1, 1999 and 
extending through December 31, 1999, in excess of the following 
levels of restraint:

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                 Category                        Twelve-month limit
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433.......................................  20,808 dozen.
434.......................................  10,404 dozen.
435.......................................  27,857 dozen.
443.......................................  161,568 numbers.
448.......................................  62,424 dozen.
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    The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to 
the current bilateral agreement between the Governments of the 
United States and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
    Products in the above categories exported during 1998 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see 
directive dated December 1, 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.
    These limits may be revised if the Former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia becomes a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and 
the United States applies the WTO agreement to the Former Yugoslav 
Republic of Macedonia.
    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 to the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C.553(a)(1).

[[Page 53880]]

    Sincerely,
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 98-26803 Filed 10-6-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F