[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 216 (Monday, November 9, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60306-60307]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29978]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATIONS OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton, Man-
Made Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Textile Products 
Produced or Manufactured in Oman

November 3, 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: Roy Unger, 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, effected by exchange of notes 
dated December 13, 1993 and January 15, 1994, as amended and extended, 
between the Governments of the United States and the Sultanate of Oman 
establishes limits for textile products, produced or manufactured in 
Oman and

[[Page 60307]]

exported during the period January 1, 1999 and through December 31, 
1999.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish limits for the 1999 period. The 
limit for Categories 347/348 has been reduced for carryforward applied 
in 1998.
    These limits may be revised if Oman becomes a member of the World 
Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Oman.
    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
November 3, 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; the Bilateral Textile Agreement, effected 
by exchange of notes dated December 13, 1993 and January 15, 1994, 
as amended and extended, between the Governments of the United 
States and the Sultanate of Oman, 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, 
man-made fiber, silk blend and other vegetable fiber textile 
products in the following categories, produced or manufactured in 
Oman 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
334/634...................................  154,500 dozen.
335/635...................................  267,645 dozen.
338/339...................................  555,364 dozen.
340/640...................................  267,645 dozen.
341/641...................................  200,733 dozen.
347/348...................................  902,671 dozen.
647/648/847...............................  410,305 dozen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to 
the current bilateral agreement between the Governments of the 
United States and the Sultanate of Oman.
    Products in the above categories exported during 1998 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see 
directive dated December 19, 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 Oman becomes a member of the 
World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Oman.
    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. 98-29978 Filed 11-6-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F