[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 250 (Monday, December 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 79571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-32820]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


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

December 23, 2002.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the commissioner of customs establishing 
a limit and a sublimit.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 
Web site 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 Memorandum of Understanding dated February 
17, 2000, as extended on December 20, 2002, between the Governments of 
the United States and Belarus establishes a limit and a sublimit for 
Category 622 and Sub-Category 622-L, respectively, for the period 
January 1, 2003 through January 31, 2003.
    This limit and sublimit may be revised if Belarus becomes a member 
of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the 
WTO agreement to Belarus.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish the limit and sublimit. 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 availability of the 2003 CORRELATION will be 
published in the Federal Register at a later date.

Philip J. Martello,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

December 23, 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; you are directed to prohibit, effective 
on January 1, 2003, 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 one-month period beginning on January 1, 2003 
and extending through January 31, 2003, in excess of 1,163,280 
square meters of which not more than 101,155 square meters shall be 
in Category 622-L \1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Category 622-L: only HTS numbers 7019.51.9010, 7019.52.4010, 
7019.52.9010, 7019.59.4010, and 7019.59.9010.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Products in the above category and sub-category exported during 
2002 shall be charged to the applicable category limit and sublimit 
for that year (see directive dated October 19, 2001) to the extent 
of any unfilled balance. In the event the limit and sublimit 
established for that period have been exhausted by previous entries, 
such products shall be charged to the limit and sublimit set forth 
in this directive.
    The limit and sublimit set forth above are subject to adjustment 
pursuant to the current bilateral agreement between the Governments 
of the United States and Belarus.
    This limit and sublimit may be revised if Belarus becomes a 
member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States 
applies the WTO agreement to Belarus.
    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,

Philip J. Martello,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.
[FR Doc. 02-32820 Filed 12-27-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P