[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 22, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15315-15316]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-7095]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Settlement of a Call and Establishment of an Import Limit for 
Certain Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in 
Belarus

March 16, 2000.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs settling a 
call and establishing a limit.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: March 23, 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 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.
    A notice published in the Federal Register on December 22, 1999 (64 
FR 71982) established a twelve-month limit of 6,480,552 square meters 
for glass fiber fabric in Category 622, produced or manufactured in 
Belarus and exported to the United States during the twelve-month 
period which began on September 17, 1999 and extends through September 
16, 2000.
    In the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Governments of 
the United States and Belarus, dated February 17, 2000, the governments 
agreed to establish a new limit for Category 622 of 11,500,000 square 
meters, effective for the period January 1, 2000 through December 31, 
2000.
    In addition, both governments agreed to establish a sublimit of 
1,000,000 square meters for the entry for consumption and withdrawal 
from warehouse for consumption of glass fiber fabric in Category 622-L 
weighing 185 grams or less per square meter. The Category 622-L limit 
is not currently being implemented but will be in the near future; 
import charges for this category will be provided to the U.S. Customs 
service at a later date after the necessary statistical breakouts have 
been established.
    This limit may be revised if Belarus becomes a member of the World 
Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Belarus.
    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 64 FR 71982, published on December 22, 1999; this 
notice precedes the Belarus notice in the same issue of the Federal 
Register).

Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

March 16, 2000

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

    Dear Commissioner: This directive cancels and supersedes the 
directive issued to you on December 17, 1999. That directive 
concerns imports of certain man-made fiber textile products, 
produced or manufactured in Belarus and exported during the twelve-
month period which began on September 17, 1999 and extends through 
September 16, 2000.
    Pursuant to section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as 
amended (7 U.S.C. 1854); Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, 
effective on March 23, 2000, you are directed to prohibit entry into 
the United States for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for 
consumption of glass fiber fabric products in Category 622, produced 
or manufactured in Belarus and exported during the twelve-month 
period which began on January 1, 2000 and extends through December 
31, 2000, in excess of 11,500,000 square meters \1\.
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    \1\ The limit has not been adjusted to account for any imports 
exported after December 31, 1999.
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    Textile products in Category 622 which have been exported to the 
United States prior to January 1, 2000 shall not be subject to the 
limit established in this directive.
    This limit may be revised if Belarus becomes a member of the 
World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Belarus.
    You are directed to keep all current charges, but deduct 
2,864,349 square meters from the charges for goods in Category 622 
exported during the period September 17, 1999 through December 31, 
1999.

[[Page 15316]]

    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 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. 00-7095 Filed 3-21-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F