[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 210 (Friday, October 30, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58369-58370]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29168]


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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 Thailand

October 27, 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. 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 Thailand 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 integrated in the second stage of the integration of textiles 
and clothing into GATT 1994 from WTO member countries (see 63 FR 53881, 
published on October 7, 1998). A visa will continue to be required for 
non-integrated products. 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.
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
October 27, 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 
Thailand and exported during the twelve-month period beginning on 
January 1, 1999 and extending through December 31, 1999, in excess 
of the following limits:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Category                   Twelve-month restraint limit
------------------------------------------------------------------------
239pt. \1\................................  1,978,854 kilograms.
Levels in Group I
200.......................................  1,291,522 kilograms.
218.......................................  20,433,505 square meters.
219.......................................  6,888,123 square meters.
300.......................................  5,166,093 kilograms.
301-P \2\.................................  5,166,093 kilograms.
301-O \3\.................................  1,033,220 kilograms.
313-O \4\.................................  24,108,430 square meters.
314-O \5\.................................  55,104,980 square meters.
315-O \6\.................................  34,440,612 square meters.
317-O/326-O \7\...........................  14,458,502 square meters.
363.......................................  22,386,398 numbers.
369-D \8\.................................  246,251 kilograms.
369-S \9\.................................  344,406 kilograms.
603.......................................  2,366,980 kilograms.
604.......................................  805,793 kilograms of which
                                             not more than 516,609
                                             kilograms shall be in
                                             Category 604-A \10\.
607.......................................  3,444,059 kilograms.
611-O \11\................................  13,172,735 square meters.
613/614/615...............................  52,050,604 square meters of
                                             which not more than
                                             30,307,739 square meters
                                             shall be in Categories 613/
                                             615 and not more than
                                             30,307,739 square meters
                                             shall be in Category 614.
617.......................................  18,796,051 square meters.
619.......................................  7,749,137 square meters.
620.......................................  7,749,137 square meters.
625/626/627/628/629.......................  15,181,426 square meters of
                                             which not more than
                                             12,054,214 square meters
                                             shall be in Category 625.
669-P \12\................................  7,263,806 kilograms.
Group II
237, 331-348, 350-352, 359-H \13\, 359pt.   315,975,858 square meters
 \14\, 431, 433-438, 440, 442-448, 459pt.    equivalent.
 \15\, 631, 633-652, 659-H \16\, 659pt.
 \17\, 831, 833-838, 840-858 and 859pt.
 \18\, as a group.
Sublevels in Group II
  331/631.................................  1,879,793 dozen pairs.
  334/634.................................  671,592 dozen.
  335/635/835.............................  533,829 dozen.
  336/636.................................  344,406 dozen.
  338/339.................................  2,019,727 dozen.
  340.....................................  309,966 dozen.

[[Page 58370]]

  341/641.................................  731,863 dozen.
  342/642.................................  637,152 dozen.
  345.....................................  327,186 dozen.
  347/348/847.............................  899,760 dozen.
  351/651.................................  258,304 dozen.
  359-H/659-H.............................  1,510,937 kilograms.
  433.....................................  9,782 dozen.
  434.....................................  12,075 dozen.
  435.....................................  54,869 dozen.
  438.....................................  18,112 dozen.
  442.....................................  21,033 dozen.
  638/639.................................  2,380,393 dozen.
  640.....................................  568,269 dozen.
  645/646.................................  344,406 dozen.
  647/648.................................  1,226,086 dozen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Category 239pt.: only HTS number 6209.20.5040 (diapers).
\2\ Category 301-P: only HTS numbers 5206.21.0000, 5206.22.0000,
  5206.23.0000, 5206.24.0000, 5206.25.0000, 5206.41.0000, 5206.42.0000,
  5206.43.0000, 5206.44.0000 and 5206.45.0000.
\3\ Category 301-O: only HTS numbers 5205.21.0020, 5205.21.0090,
  5205.22.0020, 5205.22.0090, 5205.23.0020, 5205.23.0090, 5205.24.0020,
  5205.24.0090, 5205.26.0020, 5205.26.0090, 5205.27.0020, 5205.27.0090,
  5205.28.0020, 5205.28.0090, 5205.41.0020, 5205.41.0090, 5205.42.0020,
  5205.42.0090, 5205.43.0020, 5205.43.0090, 5205.44.0020, 5205.44.0090,
  5205.46.0020, 5205.46.0090, 5205.47.0020, 5205.47.0090, 5205.48.0020
  and 5205.48.0090.
\4\Category 313-O: all HTS numbers except 5208.52.3035, 5208.52.4035 and
  5209.51.6032.
\5\Category 314-O: all HTS numbers except 5209.51.6015.
\6\Category 315-O: all HTS numbers except 5208.52.4055.
\7\Category 317-O: all HTS numbers except 5208.59.2085; Category 326-O:
  all HTS numbers except 5208.59.2015, 5209.59.0015 and 5211.59.0015.
\8\ Category 369-D: only HTS numbers 6302.60.0010, 6302.91.0005 and
  6302.91.0045.
\9\ Category 369-S: only HTS number 6307.10.2005.
\10\ Category 604-A: only HTS number 5509.32.0000.
\11\ Category 611-O: all HTS numbers except 5516.14.0005, 5516.14.0025
  and 5516.14.0085.
\12\ Category 669-P: only HTS numbers 6305.32.0010, 6305.32.0020,
  6305.33.0010, 6305.33.0020 and 6305.39.0000.
\13\ Category 359-H: only HTS numbers 6505.90.1540 and 6505.90.2060.
\14\ Category 359pt.: all HTS numbers except 6505.90.1540, 6505.90.2060
  (Category 359-H); and 6406.99.1550.
\15\ Category 459pt.: all HTS numbers except 6405.20.6030, 6405.20.6060,
  6405.20.6090, 6406.99.1505 and 6406.99.1560.
\16\ 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.
\17\ 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); 6406.99.1510 and 6406.99.1540.
\18\ 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.

    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 
directives dated December 5, 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 merged Categories 359-H/659-H and 
638/639 are 11.5 and 12.96, respectively.
    Effective on January 1, 1999, a visa will no longer be required 
for products integrated in the second stage of the integration of 
textiles and clothing into GATT 1994 from WTO member countries (see 
directive dated September 30, 1998). A visa will continue to be 
required for non-integrated products. 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,
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 98-29168 Filed 10-29-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F