[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 58 (Friday, March 26, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14705-14706]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-7483]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Establishment of a Merged Category Limit for Certain Man-Made 
Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Romania

March 22, 1999.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing 
a merged category limit.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: March 29, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Naomi Freeman, International Trade 
Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, (202) 482-4212. For information on the quota status of this 
limit, 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.
    In a Memorandum of Understanding dated March 4, 1999, the 
Governments of the United States and Romania agreed to merge Categories 
647 and 648 and to establish a new limit for merged Categories 647/648 
of 185,931 dozen for the twelve-month period beginning on January 1, 
1999 and extending through December 31, 1999. In addition, unused 
carryforward that had been applied to the 1998 limit for Category 647 
is being recredited. The individual 1999 levels for Categories 647 and 
648 are superseded by the above limit.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish a new limit for merged Categories 
647/648 for the twelve-month period beginning on January 1, 1999 and 
extending through December 31, 1999.
    A description of the textile and apparel categories in terms of HTS 
numbers is available in the CORRELATION: Textile and Apparel

[[Page 14706]]

Categories with the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(see Federal Register notice 63 FR 71096, published on December 23, 
1998). Also see 63 FR 67051, published on December 4, 1998.
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
March 22, 1999.

Commissioner of Customs,
Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

    Dear Commissioner: This directive amends, but does not cancel, 
the directive issued to you on November 30, 1998, by the Chairman, 
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That 
directive concerns imports of certain cotton, wool, man-made fiber, 
silk blend and other vegetable fiber textiles and textile products, 
produced or manufactured in Romania and exported during the twelve-
month period which began on January 1, 1999 and extends through 
December 31, 1999.
    Effective on March 29, 1999, you are directed to combine the 
charges for Categories 647 and 648 and establish a new limit of 
185,931 dozen \1\ for merged Categories 647/648 for the twelve-month 
period beginning on January 1, 1999 and extending through December 
31, 1999, pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding dated March 4, 
1999 between the Governments of the United States and Romania.
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    \1\ The limit has not been adjusted to account for any import 
exported after December 31, 1998.
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    Textile products in Categories 647/648 which have been released 
from the custody of the U.S. Customs Service under the provisions of 
19 U.S.C. 1448(b) or 1484(a)(1) prior to the effective date of this 
directive shall not be denied entry under this directive.
    Products in Categories 647 and 648 exported during 1998 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see 
directive dated November 25, 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 limit set forth in this directive for merged Category 647/
648.
    The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has 
determined that this action falls 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. 99-7483 Filed 3-25-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F