[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 83 (Tuesday, April 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21220-21222]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-10756]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Request For Public Comments on Bilateral Textile Consultations 
With the Government of Belarus

April 26, 2002.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA)

ACTION: Notice.

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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 categories for which 
consultations have been requested, refer to the Office of Textiles and 
Apparel website at http://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.

    On April 24, 2002, under Section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 
1956, the Government of the United States requested consultations with 
the Government of Belarus with respect to women's and girls' wool coats 
in Category 435 and women's and girls wool slacks, breeches and shorts 
in Category 448, produced or manufactured in Belarus.
    The purpose of this notice is to advise the public that, if no 
solution is agreed upon in consultations with the Government of 
Belarus, the Government of the United States reserves its right to 
establish a twelve-month limit for the period beginning on April 24, 
2002, and extending through April 23, 2003, of not less than 55,021 
dozen for Category 435 and not less than 23,595 dozen for Category 448 
for the entry and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of textile 
products in these categories, produced or manufactured in Belarus.
    Anyone wishing to comment or provide data or information on imports 
from Belarus in Categories 435 and 448 is invited to submit 10 copies 
of such comments or information to James C. Leonard III, Chairman, 
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements, U.S. Department 
of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; ATTN: Becky Geiger. The comments 
received will be considered in the context of the consultations with 
the Government of Belarus.
    Because the exact timing of the consultations is not yet certain, 
comments should be submitted promptly. Comments or information 
submitted in response to this notice will be available for public 
inspection in the Office of Textiles and Apparel, room H3100, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 
DC.
    Further comments may be invited regarding particular commentary or 
information received from the public which the Committee for the 
Implementation of Textile Agreements considers appropriate for further 
consideration.
    This solicitation of comments is not a waiver in any respect of the 
exemption contained in 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1) relating to matters which 
constitute ``a foreign affairs function of the United States.''
    The United States remains committed to finding a solution 
concerning these categories. Should such a solution be reached in 
consultations with the Government of Belarus, further notice will be 
published in the Federal Register.
    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 66 FR 65178, published on December 18, 2001). Also see 
66 FR 53783, published on October 24, 2001.

James C. Leonard III,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Statement of Support for the Request for Consultations With Belarus 
Pursuant to Section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956 Regarding 
Women's and Girls' Wool Coats, Category 435 Imports

    Category 435 imports from Belarus are undermining the 
implementation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on 
Textiles and Clothing (ATC). The introduction of a limit on Category 
435 imports from Belarus is necessary and appropriate to carry out the 
ATC, and is relevant to the enforcement of the ATC. Current imports 
from Belarus exceed imports from a number of WTO countries, imports 
that are limited by agreed levels (see Table I). In fact, calendar year 
2001 Category 435 imports from Belarus

[[Page 21221]]

exceed the agreed levels of 15 countries (see Table II). The orderly 
flow of trade into the U.S. women's and girls' wool coat market is 
being disrupted and, if Category 435 imports from Belarus are not 
limited, the orderly integration process called for by the ATC will be 
impossible.
    U.S. imports of women's and girls' wool coats, Category 435, from 
Belarus during calendar year 2001 reached 55,021 dozens, over seven 
times Belarus' 1994 level, and 42 percent above the 38,743 dozens 
imported during the calendar year 2000. Belarus started shipping 
women's and girls' wool coats to the U.S. in 1994, shipping only 7,144 
dozens. Belarus is now the 9th largest supplier in Category 435 
accounting for 3.5 percent of calendar year 2001 world imports.
    Total U.S. imports of women's and girls' wool coats, Category 435, 
reached 1,560,294 dozens in the calendar year 2001 and represent nearly 
one and a half times the level of U.S. production.
    Thailand is a WTO member with whom the United States has negotiated 
a specific limit. Belarus' calendar year 2001 import level is higher 
than Thailand's calendar year 2001 import level. Moreover, Belarus' 
import level for calendar year 2001 exceeds the negotiated specific 
limits of Uruguay, Indonesia, Korea, Hungary, Taiwan, Bulgaria, China, 
Slovak Republic, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Poland, Romania, Singapore, and 
the Czech Republic, all of which are WTO member countries, and the 
negotiated specific limit of Macedonia, which is not a WTO member.
    The sharp and substantial increase of Category 435 imports from 
Belarus is disrupting the orderly flow of trade into the U.S. women's 
and girls' wool coat market. The increasing share of unrestrained 
women's and girls' wool coat imports from Belarus is creating an 
inequitable situation in Category 435. Belarus, by shipping in excess 
of many WTO member countries that have negotiated quota agreements with 
the United States under the ATC, is disrupting the orderly flow of 
trade and creating an inequitable situation.
    After undertaking a comparative assessment of Belarus' Category 435 
imports and imports from other sources, the United States has 
determined that a request for consultations is necessary to correct the 
inequity between controlled and uncontrolled suppliers in the flow of 
trade into the U.S. women's and girls' wool coat market and to 
implement and maintain the integrity of the ATC.

    Table I.--U.S. Import Levels From Belarus and WTO Countries With
  Specific Limits Whose Current Import Levels Are Below Belarus Women's
                   and Girls' Wool Coats--Category 435
                             [1,000 Dozens]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             Imports
        Country           Calendar Year     Percent of     Country Rank
                               2001            Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------
World                    1,560            100
Belarus                  55               3.5             9
WTO Countries:
  Thailand               54               3.4             10
  Korea                  38               2.5             14
  Taiwan                 28               1.8             16
  Romania                17               1.1             24
  Malaysia               15               0.9             25
  Sri Lanka              14               0.9             26
  Poland                 9                0.6             31
  Hungary                8                0.5             33
  Slovakia               8                0.5             34
  Uruguay                2                0.2             46
------------------------------------------------------------------------


 Table II.--2001 Specific Limits (SL) Below Belarus' Calendar Year 2001
           Imports Women's and Girls' Wool Coats--Category 435
                             [1,000 Dozens]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
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Belarus 55.0
WTO Countries SL's:
  Uruguay 54.8
  Indonesia 49
  Korea 37
  Hungary 27
  Taiwan 26
  Bulgaria 25
  China 25
  Slovak Rep. 18
  Sri Lanka 16
  Malaysia 16
  Poland 14
  Romania 10
  Singapore 7
  Czech. Rep. 4
Non-WTO Countries SL's:
  Macedonia 30
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Statement of Support for the Request for Consultations With Belarus 
Pursuant to Section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956 Regarding 
Women's and Girls' Wool Slacks, Breeches and Shorts Category 448 
Imports

    Category 448 imports from Belarus are undermining the 
implementation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on 
Textiles and Clothing (ATC), and the introduction of a limit on 
Category 448 imports from Belarus is necessary and appropriate to carry 
out the ATC, and is relevant to the enforcement of the ATC. Current 
imports from Belarus exceed imports from a number of WTO countries, 
imports that are limited by agreed levels (see Table I). In fact, 
calendar year Category 448 imports from Belarus exceed the agreed 
levels of four countries (see Table II). The orderly flow of trade into 
the U.S. women's and girls' wool slacks, breeches and shorts market is 
being disrupted and, if Category 448 imports from Belarus are not 
limited, the orderly integration process called for by the ATC will be 
impossible.
    U.S. imports of women's and girls' wool slacks, breeches and 
shorts, Category 448, from Belarus during calendar year 2001 reached 
23,595 dozens, over thirteen times Belarus' 1995 level, and 29 percent 
above the 18,328 dozens imported during the calendar year 2000. Belarus 
started shipping women's and girls' wool slacks, breeches and shorts to 
the U.S. in 1995, shipping only 1,791 dozens. Belarus is now the 14th 
largest supplier in Category 448 accounting for 2.3 percent of calendar 
year 2001 world imports.
    Total U.S. imports of women's and girls' wool slacks, breeches and 
shorts, Category 448, reached 1,019,208 dozens in the calendar year 
2001 and represent nearly two and one half times the level of U.S. 
production.
    Romania and Hungary are WTO members with whom the United States has 
negotiated specific limits. Belarus' calendar year 2001 import level is 
higher than the calendar year 2001 import levels of Romania and 
Hungary. Moreover, Belarus' import level for calendar year 2001 exceeds 
the negotiated specific limits of China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Egypt, and 
the unilateral restraint of Burma, all of which are WTO member 
countries.
    The sharp and substantial increase of Category 448 imports from 
Belarus is disrupting the orderly flow of trade into the U.S. women's 
and girls' wool slacks, breeches and shorts market. The increasing 
share of unrestrained women's and girls' wool slacks, breeches and 
shorts imports from Belarus is creating an inequitable situation in 
Category 448. Belarus, by shipping in excess of many WTO member 
countries that have negotiated quota agreements with the United States 
under the ATC, is disrupting the orderly flow of trade and creating an 
inequitable situation.
    After undertaking a comparative assessment of Belarus' Category 448 
imports and imports from other sources, the United States has 
determined that a request for consultations is necessary to correct the 
inequity between controlled and uncontrolled suppliers in the flow

[[Page 21222]]

of trade into the U.S. women's and girls' wool slacks, breeches and 
shorts market and to implement and maintain the integrity of the ATC.

    Table I.--U.S. Import Levels From Belarus and WTO Countries With
  Specific Limits Whose Current Import Levels Are Below Belarus Women's
        and Girls' Wool Slacks, Breeches and Shorts--Category 448
                             [1,000 Dozens]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             Imports
        Country           Calendar Year     Percent of     Country Rank
                               2001            Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------
World                    1,019            100
Belarus                  24               2.3             14
WTO Countries:
  Indonesia              23               2.3             15
  Romania                22               2.1             16
  Taiwan                 19               1.8             20
  Hungary                12               1.2             24
------------------------------------------------------------------------


 Table II.--2001 Specific Limits (SL) Below Belarus' Calendar Year 2001
  Imports Women's and Girls' Wool Slacks, Breeches and Shorts--Category
                                   448
                             [1,000 Dozens]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
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Belarus 23.6
WTO Countries SL's:
  China 22.5
  Indonesia 21.9
  Taiwan\1\ 21.2
  Egypt 20.1
  Burma\2\ 2.5
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ SL Categories 447 and 448.
\2\ Unilateral Restraint Level.


[FR Doc. 02-10756 Filed 4-26-02; 2:33 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-S