[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 240 (Tuesday, December 15, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69056-69057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-33126]


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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 
Singapore

December 8, 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 Singapore 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 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
December 8, 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,

[[Page 69057]]

produced or manufactured in Singapore 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
222.......................................  547,607 kilograms.
237.......................................  296,473 dozen.
239pt. \1\................................  194,227 kilograms.
331.......................................  526,564 dozen pairs.
334.......................................  78,176 dozen.
335.......................................  235,157 dozen.
338/339...................................  1,486,795 dozen of which not
                                             more than 868,897 dozen
                                             shall be in Category 338
                                             and not more than 966,105
                                             dozen shall be in Category
                                             339.
340.......................................  1,040,536 dozen.
341.......................................  261,644 dozen.
342.......................................  161,010 dozen.
347/348...................................  1,100,486 dozen of which not
                                             more than 687,803 dozen
                                             shall be in Category 347
                                             and not more than 534,959
                                             dozen shall be in Category
                                             348.
435.......................................  7,012 dozen.
604.......................................  984,478 kilograms.
631.......................................  603,793 dozen pairs.
634.......................................  298,465 dozen.
635.......................................  305,431 dozen
638.......................................  1,096,213 dozen.
639.......................................  3,657,363 dozen.
640.......................................  221,833 dozen.
641.......................................  361,833 dozen.
642.......................................  360,087 dozen.
645/646...................................  168,131 dozen.
647.......................................  665,347 dozen.
648.......................................  1,574,480 dozen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Category 239pt.: only HTS number 6209.20.5040 (diapers).

    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 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. 98-33126 Filed 12-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F