[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 17 (Thursday, January 25, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7743-7744]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-2303]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of an Import Limit for Certain Wool Textile Products 
Produced or Manufactured in Russia

January 19, 2001.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

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

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 25, 2001.

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.gov. For information on embargoes and 
quota re-openings, refer to the Office of Textiles and Apparel website 
at http://www.otexa.ita.doc.gov.

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 August 13, 1996 and September 9, 1996, as amended on December 15, 
2000 and January 12, 2001, between the Governments of the United States 
and the Russian Federation establishes a limit for wool textile 
products in Category 435 for the period January 1, 2001 through March 
31, 2001.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish the limit for the period January 
1, 2001 through March 31, 2001.
    This limit may be revised if Russia becomes a member of the World 
Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Russia.
    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 65 FR 82328, published on December 28, 2000).

Richard B. Steinkamp,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

January 19, 2001.

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, effected by 
exchange

[[Page 7744]]

of notes dated August 13, 1996 and September 9, 1996, as amended on 
December 15, 2000 and January 12, 2001, between the Governments of the 
United States and the Russian Federation, you are directed to prohibit, 
effective on January 25, 2001, entry into the United States for 
consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of wool 
textile products in Category 435, produced or manufactured in Russia 
and exported during the three-month period beginning on January 1, 2001 
and extending through March 31, 2001, in excess of 13,801 dozen.
    The limit set forth above is subject to adjustment pursuant to the 
current bilateral agreement between the Governments of the United 
States and the Russian Federation.
    Products in the above category exported during 2000 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limit for that year (see directive 
dated September 13, 1999) to the extent of any unfilled balance. In the 
event the limit established for that period has been exhausted by 
previous entries, such products shall be charged to the limit set forth 
in this directive.
    This limit may be revised if Russia becomes a member of the World 
Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Russia.
    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,
Richard B. Steinkamp,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 01-2303 Filed 1-24-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F