[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 222 (Wednesday, November 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64069-64070]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30799]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton and 
Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Nepal

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: Janet Heinzen, 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 May 30 and June 1, 1986, as amended and extended, and Memoranda 
of Understanding (MOUs) dated November 6, 1996 and June 20, 1997, 
between the Governments of the United States and Nepal establish limits 
for the period January 1, 1999 through December 31, 1999.
    These limits may be revised if Nepal becomes a member of the World 
Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Nepal.
    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; the Bilateral Textile Agreement, effected 
by exchange of notes dated May 30 and June 1, 1986, as amended and 
extended; and Memoranda of Understanding dated November 6, 1996 and 
June 20, 1997 between the Governments of the United States and 
Nepal, 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 and man-made fiber textile 
products in the following categories, produced or manufactured in 
Nepal 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:

                                                                        
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                 Category                   Twelve-month restraint limit
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336/636...................................  248,267 dozen.              
340.......................................  358,576 dozen.              
341.......................................  1,151,784 dozen.            
342/642...................................  312,957 dozen.              
347/348...................................  807,673 dozen.              
363.......................................  7,303,400 numbers.          
369-S \1\.................................  954,810 kilograms.          
640.......................................  180,469 dozen.              
641.......................................  406,913 dozen.              
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\1\ Category 369-S: only HTS number 6307.10.2005.                       

    The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to 
the provisions of the current bilateral agreement between the 
Governments of the United States and Nepal.
    Products in the above categories exported during 1998 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see 
directive dated November 6, 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 Nepal becomes a member of the 
World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Nepal.
    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

[[Page 64070]]

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. 98-30799 Filed 11-17-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F