[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 200 (Wednesday, October 16, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63895-63896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-26315]


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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

October 9, 2002.
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, 2003.

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.gov. For information on embargoes and 
quota re-openings, 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.
    The Bilateral Textile Agreement of November 7, 1997, as amended and 
extended by exchange of notes on June 22, 2000 and July 5, 2000, 
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, 2003 through 
December 31, 2003.
    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 Macedonia 
may authorize the entry and charges to the appropriate specific limits 
by the

[[Page 63896]]

issuance of a valid visa. Also see 63 FR 17156, published on April 8, 
1998.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish the 2003 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 66 FR 65178, published on December 18, 2001). 
Information regarding the 2003 CORRELATION will be published in the 
Federal Register at a later date.

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

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

October 9, 2002.

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, as amended and extended by exchange of notes on 
June 22, 2000 and July 5, 2000, between the Governments of the 
United States and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, you are 
directed to prohibit, effective on January 1, 2003, 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, 
2003 and extending through December 31, 2003, in excess of the 
following levels of restraint:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Category                        Twelve-month limit
------------------------------------------------------------------------
433.......................................  22,744 dozen.
434.......................................  11,372 dozen.
435.......................................  31,041 dozen.
443.......................................  191,282 numbers.
448.......................................  68,232 dozen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.
    Products in the above categories exported during 2002 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see 
directive dated November 27, 2001) 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 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 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, (63 FR 17156). 
Any shipment which is declared for entry under the Outward 
Processing Program but found not to qualify shall be denied entry 
into the United States.
    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,
James C. Leonard III,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 02-26315 Filed 10-15-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-S