[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4181-4182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-1865]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Establishment of Import Limits for Certain Wool and Man-Made 
Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Belarus

January 21, 2003.
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 28, 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-penings, 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 January 10, 
2003 between the Governments of the United States and Belarus 
establishes limits for the period January 1, 2003 through December 31, 
2003. This notice cancels and supercedes the notice published on 
December 30, 2002 (67 FR 79571).
    These limits 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 limits.
    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 68 FR 1599, published on January 13, 2003).

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

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

January 21, 2003.

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; this directive cancels and supercedes the 
directive issued to you on December 23, 2002. You are directed to 
prohibit, effective on January 28, 2003, entry into the United 
States for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption 
of textiles and textile products in the following categories, 
produced or manufactured in Belarus and exported during the twelve-
month period beginning on January 1, 2003 and extending through 
December 31, 2003:

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                 Category                   Twelve-month restraint limit
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622.......................................  9,100,000 square meters of
                                             which not more than
                                             1,500,000 square meters
                                             shall be in Category 622-L
                                             \1\.
435.......................................  66,000 dozen.
448.......................................  34,000 dozen.
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\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 Categories 622 and 622-L 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 limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to 
the current bilateral agreement between the Governments of the 
United States and Belarus.
    This limits 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,
James C. Leonard III,

[[Page 4182]]

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc.03-1865 Filed 1-27-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-S