[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 217 (Tuesday, November 10, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63030-63031]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30133]


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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 Textile Products 
Produced or Manufactured in Bahrain

November 4, 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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[[Page 63031]]

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 import restraint limits for textile products, produced or 
manufactured in Bahrain 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).
    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.''
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish the limits for the 1999 period.
    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 51832, published on October 3, 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 4, 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 textile products in the 
following categories, produced or manufactured in Bahrain 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
237, 239pt. \1\, 331-336, 338, 339, 340-    47,389,134 square meters
 342, 345, 347, 348, 350-352, 359pt. \2\,    equivalent.
 431, 433-436, 438, 440, 442-448, 459pt.
 \3\, 631, 633-636, 638, 639, 640-647,
 648, 649, 650-652, 659pt. \4\, 831, 833-
 836, 838, 840, 842-847, 850-852, 858 and
 859pt. \5\, as a group.
Sublevels in Group I
338/339...................................  658,482 dozen.
340/640...................................  315,928 dozen of which not
                                             more than 236,945 dozen
                                             shall be in Categories 340-
                                             Y/640-Y \6\.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Category 239pt.: only HTS number 6209.20.5040 (diapers).
\2\ Category 359pt.: all HTS numbers except 6406.99.1550.
\3\ Category 459pt.: all HTS numbers except 6405.20.6030, 6405.20.6060,
  6405.20.6090, 6406.99.1505 and 6406.99.1560.
\4\ Category 659pt.: all HTS numbers except 6406.99.1510 and
  6406.99.1540.
\5\ 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.
\6\ Category 340-Y: only HTS numbers 6205.20.2015, 6205.20.2020,
  6205.20.2046, 6205.20.2050 and 6205.20.2060; Category 640-Y: only HTS
  numbers 6205.30.2010, 6205.30.2020, 6205.30.2050 and 6205.30.2060.

    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 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.
    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 to 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. 98-30133 Filed 11-9-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F