[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 202 (Tuesday, October 20, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56005-56007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-28078]


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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 the Republic of Korea

October 14, 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: Ross Arnold, International Trade 
Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S.

[[Page 56006]]

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 import restraint limits for textile products, produced or 
manufactured in Korea and exported during the period January 1, 1999 
through December 31, 1999 are based on limits notified to the Textiles 
Monitoring Body pursuant to the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and 
Clothing (ATC).
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1999 limits.
    Effective on January 1, 1999, a visa will no longer be required for 
products from WTO member countries integrated in the second stage of 
the integration of textiles and clothing into GATT 1994 (see 63 FR 
53881, published on October 7, 1998). Non-integrated products shall 
continue to require a visa. For quota purposes only, products remaining 
in categories partially integrated will continue to be designated by 
the designator ``pt.''
    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.
D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
October 14, 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 Uruguay Round Agreement on 
Textiles and Clothing (ATC), you are directed to prohibit, effective 
on January 1, 1999, 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 
the Republic of Korea and exported during the twelve-month period 
beginning on January 1, 1999 and extending through December 31, 
1999, in excess of the following levels of restraint:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Category                   Twelve-month restraint limit
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Group I
  200-223, 224-V \1\, 224-O \2\, 225, 226,   393,602,553 square meters
   227, 300-326, 360-363, 369pt. \3\, 400-   equivalent.
   414, 464, 469pt. \4\, 600-629, 666, 669-
   P \5\, 669pt. \6\ and 670-O \7\, as a
   group.
Sublevels within Group I
  200.....................................  477,828 kilograms.
  201.....................................  2,372,958 kilograms.
  218.....................................  9,685,721 square meters.
  219.....................................  8,819,518 square meters.
  224-V...................................  11,118,352 square meters.
  300/301.................................  3,249,057 kilograms.
  313.....................................  52,948,606 square meters.
  314.....................................  29,521,821 square meters.
  315.....................................  18,670,186 square meters.
  317/326.................................  19,677,079 square meters.
  363.....................................  1,133,939 numbers.
  410.....................................  3,603,292 square meters.
  604.....................................  405,665 kilograms.
  607.....................................  1,162,288 kilograms.
  611.....................................  3,874,289 square meters.
  613/614.................................  6,457,146 square meters.
  617.....................................  5,354,708 square meters.
  619/620.................................  95,902,995 square meters.
  624.....................................  9,449,484 square meters.
  625/626/627/628/629.....................  16,530,297 square meters.
  669-P...................................  2,377,650 kilograms.
Group II
  237, 239pt. \8\, 331-348, 350-352, 359-H  593,032,404 square meters
   \9\, 359pt. \10\, 431, 433-438, 440-      equivalent.
   448, 459-W \11\, 459pt. \12\, 631, 633-
   652, 659-H \13\, 659-S \14\ and 659pt.
   \15\, as a group.
Sublevels within Group II
  237.....................................  64,255 dozen.
  239pt...................................  259,814 kilograms.
  333/334/335.............................  290,572 dozen of which not
                                             more than 148,515 dozen
                                             shall be in Category 335.
  336.....................................  61,406 dozen.
  338/339.................................  1,291,430 dozen.
  340.....................................  671,544 dozen of which not
                                             more than 348,687 dozen
                                             shall be in Category 340-D
                                             \16\.
  341.....................................  186,703 dozen.
  342/642.................................  233,549 dozen.
  345.....................................  125,460 dozen.
  347/348.................................  477,828 dozen.
  350.....................................  17,860 dozen.
  351/651.................................  245,349 dozen.
  352.....................................  190,924 dozen.
  359-H...................................  2,750,450 kilograms.
  433.....................................  14,036 dozen.
  434.....................................  7,199 dozen.
  435.....................................  35,741 dozen.
  436.....................................  15,130 dozen.
  438.....................................  60,660 dozen.
  440.....................................  200,091 dozen.
  442.....................................  51,130 dozen.
  443.....................................  322,056 numbers.
  444.....................................  55,716 numbers.
  445/446.................................  52,656 dozen.
  447.....................................  89,837 dozen.
  448.....................................  35,970 dozen.
  459-W...................................  97,301 kilograms.
  631.....................................  322,373 dozen pairs.
  633/634/635.............................  1,364,532 dozen of which not
                                             more than 154,735 dozen
                                             shall be in Category 633
                                             and not more than 576,650
                                             dozen shall be in Category
                                             635.
  636.....................................  277,412 dozen.
  638/639.................................  5,312,601 dozen.
  640-D \17\..............................  3,159,330 dozen.
  640-O \18\..............................  2,632,774 dozen.
  641.....................................  1,062,809 dozen of which not
                                             more than 40,145 dozen
                                             shall be in Category 641-Y
                                             \19\.
  643.....................................  787,380 numbers.
  644.....................................  1,184,579 numbers.
  645/646.................................  3,618,976 dozen.
  647/648.................................  1,347,261 dozen.
  650.....................................  26,135 dozen.
  659-H...................................  1,369,574 kilograms.
  659-S...................................  192,200 kilograms.
Group III
  831, 833-838, 840-844, 847-858 and        17,443,884 square meters
   859pt. \20\, as a group.                  equivalent.
Sublevel within Group III
  835.....................................  29,007 dozen.
Group IV
  845.....................................  2,315,056 dozen.
  846.....................................  819,974 dozen.

[[Page 56007]]

Group VI
  369-L/670-L/870 \21\....................  75,768,515 square meters
                                             equivalent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Category 224-V: only HTS numbers 5801.21.0000, 5801.23.0000,
  5801.24.0000, 5801.25.0010, 5801.25.0020, 5801.26.0010, 5801.26.0020,
  5801.31.0000, 5801.33.0000, 5801.34.0000, 5801.35.0010, 5801.35.0020,
  5801.36.0010 and 5801.36,0020.
\2\ Category 224-O: all remaining HTS numbers in Category 224.
\3\ Category 369pt.: all HTS numbers except 4202.12.4000, 4202.12.8020,
  4202.12.8060, 4202.92.1500, 4202.92.3016, 4202.92.6091, 6307.90.9905,
  (Category 369-L); 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.
\4\ Category 469pt.: all HTS numbers except 5601.29.0020, 5603.94.1010
  and 6406.10.9020.
\5\ Category 669-P: only HTS numbers 6305.32.0010, 6305.32.0020,
  6305.33.0010, 6305.33.0020 and 6305.39.0000.
\6\ Category 669pt.: all HTS numbers except 6305.32.0010, 6305.32.0020,
  6305.33.0010, 6305.33.0020, 6305.39.0000 (Category 669-P);
  5601.10.2000, 5601.22.0090, 5607.49.3000, 5607.50.4000 and
  6406.10.9040.
\7\ Category 670-O: All HTS numbers except only HTS numbers
  4202.12.8030, 4202.12.8070, 4202.92.3020, 4202.92.3031, 4202.92.9026
  and 6307.90.9907 (Category 670-L).
\8\ Category 239pt.: only HTS number 6209.20.5040 (diapers).
\9\ Category 359-H: only HTS numbers 6505.90.1540 and 6505.90.2060.
\10\ Category 359pt.: all HTS numbers except 6505.90.1540, 6505.20.2060
  (Category 359-H); and 6406.99.1550.
\11\ Category 459-W: only HTS number 6505.90.4090.
\12\ Category 459pt.: all HTS numbers except 6505.90.4090 (Category 459-
  W); 6405.20.6030, 6405.20.6060, 6405.20.6090, 6406.99.1505 and
  6406.99.1560.
\13\ Category 659-H: only HTS numbers 6502.00.9030, 6504.00.9015,
  6504.00.9060, 6505.90.5090, 6505.90.6090, 6505.90.7090 and
  6505.90.8090.
\14\ Category 659-S: only HTS numbers 6112.31.0010, 6112.31.0020,
  6112.41.0010, 6112.41.0020, 6112.41.0030, 6112.41.0040, 6211.11.1010,
  6211.11.1020, 6211.12.1010 and 6211.12.1020.
\15\ Category 659pt.: all HTS numbers except 6502.00.9030, 6504.00.9015,
  6504.00.9060, 6505.90.5090, 6505.90.6090, 6505.90.7090, 6505.90.8090
  (Category 659-H); 6112.31.0010, 6112.31.0020, 6112.41.0010,
  6112.41.0020, 6112.41.0030, 6112.41.0040, 6211.11.1010, 6211.11.1020,
  6211.12.1010, 6211.12.1020 (Category 659-S); 6406.99.1510 and
  6406.99.1540.
\16\ Category 340-D: only HTS numbers 6205.20.2015, 6205.20.2020,
  6205.20.2025 and 6205.20.2030.
\17\ Category 640-D: only HTS numbers 6205.30.2010, 6205.30.2020,
  6205.30.2030, 6205.30.2040, 6205.90.3030 and 6205.90.4030.
\18\ Category 640-O: only HTS numbers 6203.23.0080, 6203.29.2050,
  6205.30.1000, 6205.30.2050, 6205.30.2060, 6205.30.2070, 6205.30.2080
  and 6211.33.0040.
\19\ Category 641-Y: only HTS numbers 6204.23.0050, 6204.29.2030,
  6206.40.3010 and 6206.40.3025.
\20\ Category 859pt.: only HTS numbers 6115.19.8040, 6117.10.6020,
  6212.10.5030, 6212.10.9040, 6212.20.0030, 6212.30.0030, 6212.90.0090,
  6214.10.2000 and 6214.90.0090.
\21\ Category 870; Category 369-L: only HTS numbers 4202.12.4000,
  4202.12.8020, 4202.12.8060, 4202.92.1500, 4202.92.3016, 4202.92.6091
  and 6307.90.9905; Category 670-L: only HTS numbers 4202.12.8030,
  4202.12.8070, 4202.92.3020, 4202.92.3031, 4202.92.9026 and
  6307.90.9907.

    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 1998 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see 
directive dated December 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.
    The conversion factors for the following merged categories are 
listed below:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                              Conversion factor (Square
                 Category                    meters equivalent/category
                                                        unit)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
333/334/335...............................  33.75
369-L/670-L/870...........................  3.8
633/634/635...............................  34.1
638/639...................................  12.96
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Effective on January 1, 1999, a visa will no longer be required 
for products from WTO member countries integrated in the second 
stage of the integration of textiles and clothing into GATT 1994 
(see directive dated September 30, 1998). Non-integrated products 
shall continue to require a visa. For quota purposes only, products 
remaining in categories partially integrated will continue to be 
designated by the designator ``pt.''
    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,
D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.
[FR Doc. 98-28078 Filed 10-19-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F