[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26575-26576]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12314]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATIONS OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Establishment of Import Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-
Made Fiber Textiles and Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in 
the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

May 12, 2003.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

Action: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner, Bureau of Customs and 
Border Protection establishing limits

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EFFECTIVE DATE: May 16, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ross Arnold, 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 Bureau of Customs 
and Border Protection 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.
    Consultations on textiles were held with the Government of the 
Socialist Republic of Vietnam February 20-21 and April 9-18, 2003. On 
April 25, 2003, representatives of the United States and Vietnam 
initialed a bilateral textile agreement; this agreement will enter into 
force upon translation and signature. Pending translation and 
signature, and in order to carry out the WTO Agreement on Textiles and 
Clothing, the attached directive to the Commissioner of Customs and 
Border Protection imposes limits consistent with those provided for in 
the initialed bilateral textile agreement. These limits apply to goods 
exported on or after May 1, 2003.
    These limits may be revised if Vietnam becomes a member of the 
World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Vietnam.
    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

May 12, 2003.

Commissioner,
Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Washington, DC 20229.
    Dear Commissioner: Pursuant to section 204 of the Agricultural 
Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854); and Executive Order 11651 
of March 3, 1972, as amended, you are directed to prohibit, 
effective on May 16, 2003, entry into the United States for 
consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of cotton, 
wool

[[Page 26576]]

and man-made fiber textiles and textile products in the following 
categories, produced or manufactured in Vietnam and exported during 
the eight period beginning on May 1, 2003 and extending through 
December 31, 2003 in excess of the following levels of restraint:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Category                          Restraint limit
------------------------------------------------------------------------
200.......................................  200,000 kilograms.
301.......................................  453,333 kilograms.
332.......................................  666,667 dozen pairs.
333.......................................  24,000 dozen.
334/335...................................  450,000 dozen.
338/339...................................  9,333,333 dozen.
340/640...................................  1,333,333 dozen.
341/641...................................  508,465 dozen.
342/642...................................  369,789 dozen.
345.......................................  200,000 dozen.
347/348...................................  4,666,667 dozen.
351/651...................................  321,333 dozen.
352/652...................................  1,233,333 dozen.
359-C/659-C \1\...........................  216,667 kilograms.
359-S/659-S \2\...........................  350,000 kilograms.
434.......................................  10,800 dozen.
435.......................................  26,667 dozen.
440.......................................  1,667 dozen.
447.......................................  34,667 dozen.
448.......................................  21,333 dozen.
620.......................................  4,242,667 square meters.
632.......................................  333,333 dozen pairs.
638/639...................................  847,333 dozen.
645/646...................................  133,333 dozen.
647/648...................................  1,315,545 dozen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Category 359-C: only HTS numbers 6103.42.2025, 6103.49.8034,
  6104.62.1020, 6104.69.8010, 6114.20.0048, 6114.20.0052, 6203.42.2010,
  6203.42.2090, 6204.62.2010, 6211.32.0010, 6211.32.0025 and
  6211.42.0010; Category 659-C: only HTS numbers 6103.23.0055,
  6103.43.2020, 6103.43.2025, 6103.49.2000, 6103.49.8038, 6104.63.1020,
  6104.63.1030, 6104.69.1000, 6104.69.8014, 6114.30.3044, 6114.30.3054,
  6203.43.2010, 6203.43.2090, 6203.49.1010, 6203.49.1090, 6204.63.1510,
  6204.69.1010, 6210.10.9010, 6211.33.0010, 6211.33.0017 and
  6211.43.0010.
\2\ Category 359-S: only HTS numbers 6112.39.0010, 6112.49.0010,
  6211.11.8010, 6211.11.8020, 6211.12.8010 and 6211.12.8020; Category
  659-S: only HTS numbers 6112.31.0010, 6112.31.0020, 6112.41.0010,
  6112.41.0020, 6112.41.0030, 6112.41.0040, 6211.11.1010, 6211.11.1020,
  6211.12.1010 and 6211.12.1020.

    Textile products in the above categories exported to the United 
States prior to May 1, 2003 shall not be subject to this directive.
    Textile products in the above categories which have been 
released from the custody of the Bureau of Customs and Border 
Protection under the provisions of 19 U.S.C. 1448(b) or 1484(a)(1) 
prior to the effective date of this directive shall not be denied 
entry under this directive.
    These limits may be revised if Vietnam becomes a member of the 
World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Vietnam.
    In carrying out the above directions, the Commissioner of 
Customs and Border Protection 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. 03-12314 Filed 5-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-S