[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 243 (Monday, December 20, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71115-71116]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-32794]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of Import Limits for Certain Wool Textile Products 
Produced or Manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

December 14, 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: 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 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 of November 7, 1997 between the 
Governments of the United States and the Former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia establishes limits for certain wool textile products, 
produced or manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 
and exported during the period January 1, 2000 through December 31, 
2000.
    These limits do not apply to goods entered under the Outward 
Processing Program, as defined in the notice and letter to the 
Commissioner of Customs published in the Federal Register on December 
14, 1999 (see 64 FR 69746).
    Any shipment for entry under the Outward Processing Program which 
is not accompanied by valid certification in accordance with the 
provisions established in the notice and letter to the Commissioner of 
Customs, published in the Federal Register on December 14, 1999 (see 64 
FR 69743), shall be denied entry. However, the Government of the Former 
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia may authorize the entry and charges to 
the appropriate specific limits by the issuance of a valid visa. Also 
see 63 FR 17156, as amended, published on April 8, 1998.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish the 2000 limits.
    These limits may be revised if the Former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia becomes a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and 
the United States applies the WTO agreement to the Former Yugoslav 
Republic of Macedonia.
    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 14, 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; and the Bilateral Textile Agreement of 
November 7, 1997 between the Governments of the United States and 
the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, you are directed to 
prohibit, effective on January 1, 2000, entry into the United States 
for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of 
wool textile products in the following categories, produced or 
manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and 
exported during the period beginning on January 1, 2000 and 
extending through December 31, 2000, in excess of the following 
levels of restraint:

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                 Category                        Twelve-month limit
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433.......................................  21,224 dozen.
434.......................................  10,612 dozen.
435.......................................  28,414 dozen.
443.......................................  175,099 numbers.
448.......................................  63,672 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 Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. These 
limits do not apply to products entered under the Outward Processing 
Program.
    Products in the above categories exported during 1999 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see 
directive dated September 30, 1998) to the extent of any unfilled 
balances. In the event the limits established for that period have 
been exhausted by previous entries, such

[[Page 71116]]

products shall be charged to the limits set forth in this directive.
    These limits do not apply to goods entered under the Outward 
Processing Program, as defined in the letter to the Commissioner of 
Customs, dated December 8, 1999 (see 64 FR 69746).
    Any shipment for entry under the Outward Processing Program 
which is not accompanied by a valid certification in accordance with 
the provisions established in the letter to the Commissioner of 
Customs, dated December 9, 1999 (see 64 FR 69743), shall be denied 
entry. However, the Government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia may authorize the entry and charges to the appropriate 
specific limits by the issuance of a valid visa. Also see directive 
dated April 2, 1998, as amended (63 FR 17156).
    These limits may be revised if the Former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia becomes a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and 
the United States applies the WTO agreement to the Former Yugoslav 
Republic of Macedonia.
    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. 99-32794 Filed 12-17-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F