[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 240 (Monday, December 15, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69671-69672]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E3-00557]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Wool Textile 
Products Produced or Manufactured in Ukraine

December 10, 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: 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 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 July 22, 1998, as amended and 
extended by exchange of notes on September 19, 2000 and January 15, 
2001, between the Governments of the United States and Ukraine 
establishes limits for certain wool textile products, produced or 
manufactured in Ukraine and exported during the period beginning on 
January 1, 2004 and extending through December 31, 2004.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection to establish the 
2004 limits.
    These limits may be revised if Ukraine becomes a member of the 
World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Ukraine.
    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.

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

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

December 10, 2003.

Commissioner,
Bureau of Customs and Border Protection,

[[Page 69672]]

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 
July 22, 1998, as amended and extended by exchange of notes on 
September 19, 2000 and January 15, 2001, between the Governments of 
the United States and Ukraine, you are directed to prohibit, 
effective on January 1, 2004, entry into the United States for 
consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of wool 
textile products in the following categories, produced or 
manufactured in Ukraine and exported during the twelve-month period 
beginning on January 1, 2004 and extending through December 31, 
2004, in excess of the following levels of restraint:

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                 Category                        Twelve-month limit
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435.......................................  101,468 dozen.
442.......................................  16,892 dozen.
444.......................................  73,201 numbers.
448.......................................  73,201 dozen.
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    The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to 
the current bilateral agreement between the Governments of the 
United States and Ukraine.
    These limits may be revised if Ukraine becomes a member of the 
World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Ukraine.
    Products in the above categories exported during 2003 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see 
directive dated October 9, 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.
    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 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).
    Sincerely,
James C. Leonard III,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. E3-00557 Filed 12-12-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-S