[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 233 (Friday, December 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67050-67051]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-32353]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


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

November 30, 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 import restraint limits for textile products, produced or 
manufactured in the Philippines 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) and a Memorandum of Understanding dated 
August 19, 1998 between the Governments of the United States and the 
Republic of the Philippines.
    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.
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.


Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
November 30, 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 Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles 
and Clothing (ATC) and a Memorandum of

[[Page 67051]]

Understanding dated August 19, 1998, between the Governments of the 
United States and the Republic of the Philippines, 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 textiles and textile products and 
silk blend and other vegetable fiber apparel in the following 
categories, produced or manufactured in the Philippines 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Levels in Group I
237.......................................  1,933,471 dozen.
331/631...................................  6,261,190 dozen pairs.
333/334...................................  302,881 dozen of which not
                                             more than 43,482 dozen
                                             shall be in Category 333.
335.......................................  197,145 dozen.
336.......................................  717,428 dozen.
338/339...................................  2,333,411 dozen.
340/640...................................  1,036,170 dozen.
341/641...................................  935,013 dozen.
342/642...................................  620,539 dozen.
345.......................................  184,795 dozen.
347/348...................................  2,174,025 dozen.
350.......................................  163,592 dozen.
351/651...................................  676,821 dozen.
352/652...................................  2,658,051 dozen.
359-C/659-C \1\...........................  919,562 kilograms.
361.......................................  2,066,437 numbers.
369-S \2\.................................  468,409 kilograms.
431.......................................  173,058 dozen pairs.
433.......................................  3,408 dozen.
443.......................................  41,205 numbers.
445/446...................................  28,144 dozen.
447.......................................  7,825 dozen.
611.......................................  6,201,542 square meters.
633.......................................  39,984 dozen.
634.......................................  496,097 dozen.
635.......................................  357,334 dozen
636.......................................  1,869,660 dozen.
638/639...................................  2,397,048 dozen.
643.......................................  955,056 numbers.
645/646...................................  809,378 dozen.
647/648...................................  1,311,785 dozen.
649.......................................  8,168,184 dozen.
650.......................................  117,088 dozen.
659-H \3\.................................  1,540,576 kilograms.
847.......................................  1,021,835 dozen.
Group II
200-227, 300-326, 332, 359-O \4\, 360,      193,226,490 square meters
 362, 363, 369-O \5\, 400-414, 434-438,      equivalent.
 440, 442, 444, 448, 459pt. \6\, 464,
 469pt. \7\, 600-607, 613-629, 644, 659-O
 \8\, 666, 669-O \9\, 670-O \10\, 831, 833-
 838, 840-846, 850-858 and 859pt. \11\, as
 a group.
Sublevel in Group II
604.......................................  2,190,816 kilograms.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Category 359-C: only HTS numbers 6103.42.2025, 6103.49.8034,
  6104.62.1020, 6104.69.8010, 6114.20.0048, 6114.20.0052, 6203.42.2010,
  6203.42.2090, 6204.62.2010, 6211.32.0010, 6211.32.0025 and
  6211.42.0010; Category 659-C: only HTS numbers 6103.23.0055,
  6103.43.2020, 6103.43.2025, 6103.49.2000, 6103.49.8038, 6104.63.1020,
  6104.63.1030, 6104.69.1000, 6104.69.8014, 6114.30.3044, 6114.30.3054,
  6203.43.2010, 6203.43.2090, 6203.49.1010, 6203.49.1090, 6204.63.1510,
  6204.69.1010, 6210.10.9010, 6211.33.0010, 6211.33.0017 and
  6211.43.0010.
\2\ Category 369-S: only HTS number 6307.10.2005.
\3\ 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.
\4\ Category 359-O: all HTS numbers except 6103.42.2025, 6103.49.8034,
  6104.62.1020, 6104.69.8010, 6114.20.0048, 6114.20.0052, 6203.42.2010,
  6203.42.2090, 6204.62.2010, 6211.32.0010, 6211.32.0025, 6211.42.0010
  (Category 359-C); and 6406.99.1550 (359pt.).
\5\ Category 369-O: all HTS numbers except 6307.10.2005 (Category 369-
  S); 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 (Category
  369pt.).
\6\ Category 459pt.: all HTS numbers except 6405.20.6030, 6405.20.6060,
  6405.20.6090, 6406.99.1505 and 6406.99.1560.
\7\ Category 469pt.: all HTS numbers except 5601.29.0020, 5603.94.1010
  and 6406.10.9020.
\8\ Category 659-O: all HTS numbers except 6103.23.0055, 6103.43.2020,
  6103.43.2025, 6103.49.2000, 6103.49.8038, 6104.63.1020, 6104.63.1030,
  6104.69.1000, 6104.69.8014, 6114.30.3044, 6114.30.3054, 6203.43.2010,
  6203.43.2090, 6203.49.1010, 6203.49.1090, 6204.63.1510, 6204.69.1010,
  6210.10.9010, 6211.33.0010, 6211.33.0017, 6211.43.0010 (Category 659-
  C); 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 (Category 659pt.).
\9\ Category 669-O: 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 (Category 669pt.).
\10\ Category 670-O: all HTS numbers except 4202.12.8030, 4202.12.8070,
  4202.92.3020, 4202.92.3031, 4202.92.9026 and 6307.90.9907 (Category
  670-L).
\11\ 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, administrative arrangements notified to 
the Textiles Monitoring Body and a Memorandum of Understanding dated 
August 19, 1998 between the Governments of the United States and the 
Republic of the Philippines.
    Products in the above categories exported during 1998 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see 
directive dated December 1, 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 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. 98-32353 Filed 12-3-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F