[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 241 (Thursday, December 16, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 70223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-32630]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATIONS OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


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

December 10, 1999.
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, 2000.

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 Bilateral Textile Agreement, effected by exchange of notes 
dated December 13, 1993 and January 15, 1994, as amended and extended, 
between the Governments of the United States and the Sultanate of Oman 
establishes limits for textile products, produced or manufactured in 
Oman and exported during the period January 1, 2000 and through 
December 31, 2000.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish limits for the 2000 period.
    These limits may be revised if Oman becomes a member of the World 
Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Oman.
    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 63 FR 71096, published on December 23, 1998). 
Information regarding the 2000 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
December 10, 1999.

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 December 13, 1993 and January 15, 1994, 
as amended and extended, between the Governments of the United 
States and the Sultanate of Oman, you are directed to prohibit, 
effective on January 1, 2000, entry into the United States for 
consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of cotton, 
man-made fiber, silk blend and other vegetable fiber textile 
products in the following categories, produced or manufactured in 
Oman and exported during the twelve-month period beginning on 
January 1, 2000 and extending through December 31, 2000, in excess 
of the following levels of restraint:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Category                   Twelve-month restraint limit
------------------------------------------------------------------------
334/634...................................  159,135 dozen.
335/635...................................  283,704 dozen.
338/339...................................  588,686 dozen.
340/640...................................  283,704 dozen.
341/641...................................  212,777 dozen.
347/348...................................  1,014,241 dozen.
647/648/847...............................  434,923 dozen.
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    The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to 
the current bilateral agreement between the Governments of the 
United States and the Sultanate of Oman.
    Products in the above categories exported during 1999 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see 
directive dated November 3, 1998) 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 Oman becomes a member of the 
World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Oman.
    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. 99-32630 Filed 12-15-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F