[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 222 (Wednesday, November 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64066-64067]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30797]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool 
and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in the 
Federative Republic of Brazil

November 12, 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 import restraint limits for textile products, produced or 
manufactured in Brazil and exported during the period January 1, 1999 
through December 31, 1999 are based on limits notified to the Textiles 
Monitoring Body pursuant to

[[Page 64067]]

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 1999 limits.
    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 12, 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 and man-
made fiber textile products in the following categories, produced or 
manufactured in Brazil 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aggregate Limit                                                         
200-227, 237, 239pt. \1\, 300-326, 331-     544,207,428 square meters   
 348, 350-352, 359pt. \2\, 360-363, 369-D    equivalent.                
 \3\, 369pt. \4\, 400-431, 433-438, 440-                                
 448, 459pt. \5\, 464, 469pt. \6\, 600-                                 
 629, 631, 633-652, 659pt. \7\, 666, 669-P                              
 \8\, 669pt. \9\ and 670, as a group.                                   
Sublevels within the aggregate                                          
218.......................................  6,762,406 square meters.    
219.......................................  24,688,791 square meters.   
225.......................................  11,834,212 square meters.   
300/301...................................  9,171,379 kilograms.        
313.......................................  56,792,206 square meters.   
314.......................................  9,298,311 square meters.    
315.......................................  27,894,932 square meters.   
317/326...................................  25,359,027 square meters.   
334/335...................................  181,974 dozen.              
336.......................................  101,098 dozen.              
338/339/638/639...........................  1,819,750 dozen.            
342/642...................................  535,814 dozen.              
347/348...................................  1,314,263 dozen.            
350.......................................  203,896 dozen.              
361.......................................  1,374,921 numbers.          
363.......................................  29,344,134 numbers.         
369-D.....................................  655,395 kilograms.          
410/624...................................  13,524,815 square meters of 
                                             which not more than        
                                             2,735,601 square meters    
                                             shall be in Category 410.  
433.......................................  18,990 dozen.               
445/446...................................  74,391 dozen.               
604.......................................  641,996 kilograms of which  
                                             not more than 490,670      
                                             kilograms shall be in      
                                             Category 604-A \10\.       
607.......................................  5,961,398 kilograms.        
647/648...................................  606,584 dozen.              
669-P.....................................  2,184,653 kilograms.        
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Category 239pt.: only HTS number 6209.20.5040 (diapers).            
\2\ Category 359pt.: all HTS numbers except 6406.99.1550.               
\3\ Category 369-D: only HTS numbers 6302.60.0010, 6302.91.0005 and     
  6302.91.0045.                                                         
\4\ Category 369pt.: all HTS numbers except 6302.60.0010, 6302.91.0005, 
  6302.91.0045 (Category 369-D); 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.                                                     
\5\ Category 459pt.: all HTS numbers except 6405.20.6030, 6405.20.6060, 
  6405.20.6090, 6406.99.1505 and 6406.99.1560.                          
\6\ Category 469pt.: all HTS numbers except 5601.29.0020, 5603.94.1010  
  and 6406.10.9020.                                                     
\7\ Category 659pt.: all HTS numbers except 6406.99.1510 and            
  6406.99.1540.                                                         
\8\ Category 669-P: only HTS numbers 6305.32.0010, 6305.32.0020,        
  6305.33.0010, 6305.33.0020 and 6305.39.0000.                          
\9\ 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.                                                         
\10\ Category 604-A: only HTS number 5509.32.0000.                      

    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.
    The conversion factor for merged Categories 338/339/638/639 is 
10 (square meters equivalent/category unit).
    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,
D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.
[FR Doc. 98-30797 Filed 11-17-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F