[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 218 (Tuesday, November 12, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68570-68571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-28633]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of an Import Restraint Limit for Certain Cotton and 
Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Laos

November 1, 2002.
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 1, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roy Unger, 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 
Web site at http://www.customs.gov. For information on embargoes and 
quota re-openings, refer to the Office of Textiles and Apparel Web site 
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 June 23, 2000 between the 
Governments of the United States and the Lao People's Democratic 
Republic, establishes a limit for Categories 340/640 for the period 
January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish the 2003 limit for Categories 340/
640.
    This limit may be revised if Laos becomes a member of the World 
Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Laos.
    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

November 1, 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 
June 23, 2000 between the Governments of the United States and the 
Lao People's Democratic Republic, you are directed to prohibit, 
effective on January 1, 2003, entry into the United States for 
consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of cotton 
and man-made fiber textile products in Categories 340/640, produced 
or manufactured in Laos and exported during the twelve-month period 
beginning on January 1, 2003 and extending through December 31, 
2003, in excess of 203,613 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 Lao People's Democratic Republic.
    Products in the above categories exported during 2002 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limit for that year (see

[[Page 68571]]

directive dated November 14, 2001) 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 Laos becomes a member of the World 
Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Laos.
    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,
James C. Leonard III,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 02-28633 Filed 11-8-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-S