[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 217 (Monday, November 10, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63770-63771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-28172]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of Import Limits and Guaranteed Access Levels for 
Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or 
Manufactured in Costa Rica

November 4, 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 and guaranteed access levels.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2004.

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 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.
    The import restraint limits and Guaranteed Access Levels (GALs) for 
textile products, produced or manufactured in Costa Rica and exported 
during the period January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2004 are based 
on limits notified to the Textiles Monitoring Body pursuant to the 
Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC).
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection to establish 
limits and guaranteed access levels for 2004.
    These limits are subject to adjustment pursuant to the provisions 
of the ATC and administrative arrangements notified to the Textiles 
Monitoring Body. However, as the ATC and all restrictions thereunder 
will terminate on January 1, 2005, no adjustment for carryforward 
(borrowing from next year's limits for use in the current year) will be 
available.
    These specific limits and guaranteed access levels do not apply to 
goods that qualify for quota-free entry under the Trade and Development 
Act of 2000.
    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). Information 
regarding the availability of the 2004 CORRELATION will be published in 
the Federal Register at a later date.
    Requirements for participation in the Special Access Program are 
available in Federal Register notice 63 FR 16474, published on April 3, 
1998.

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

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

November 4, 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); Executive Order 11651 of 
March 3, 1972, as amended; and the Uruguay Round Agreement on 
Textiles and Clothing (ATC), you are directed to prohibit, effective 
on January 1, 2004, entry into the United States for consumption and 
withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of cotton, wool and man-
made fiber textile products in the following categories, produced or 
manufactured in Costa Rica and exported during the twelve-month 
period beginning on January 1, 2004 and extending through December 
31, 2004, in excess of the following restraint limits:

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                 Category                        Twelve-month limit
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340/640...................................  1,937,554 dozen.
342/642...................................  715,260 dozen.
347/348...................................  3,265,210 dozen.
443.......................................  239,454 numbers.
447.......................................  12,910 dozen.
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    The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to 
the provisions of the ATC and administrative arrangements notified 
to the Textiles Monitoring Body.
    Products in the above categories exported during 2003 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see 
directive dated October 10, 2002) 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.
    Also pursuant to the ATC, and under the terms of the Special 
Access Program, as set forth in 63 FR 16474 (April 3, 1998), you are 
directed to establish guaranteed access levels for properly 
certified cotton, wool and man-made fiber textile products in the 
following categories which are assembled in Costa Rica from fabric 
formed and cut in the United States and re-exported to the United 
States from Costa Rica during the period beginning on January 1, 
2004 and extending through December 31, 2004:

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                 Category                      Guaranteed access level
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340/640...................................  650,000 dozen.
342/642...................................  250,000 dozen.
347/348...................................  1,500,000 dozen.
443.......................................  200,000 numbers.
447.......................................  4,000 dozen.
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    Any shipment for entry under the Special Access Program which is 
not accompanied by a valid and correct certification in accordance 
with the provisions of the certification requirements established in 
the directive of May 15, 1990 (55 FR 21074), as amended, shall be 
denied entry unless the Government of Costa Rica authorizes the 
entry and any charges to the appropriate specific limit. Any 
shipment which is declared for entry under the Special Access 
Program but found not to qualify shall be denied entry into the 
United States.
    These specific limits and guaranteed access levels do not apply 
to goods that qualify for quota-free entry under the Trade and 
Development Act of 2000.
    In carrying out the above directions, the Commissioner, Bureau 
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 U.S.C.553(a)(1).
    Sincerely,

[[Page 63771]]

James C. Leonard III,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 03-28172 Filed 11-7-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-S