[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 29, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 78001]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-28525]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Exempting Certain Textiles and Textile Products of the People's 
Republic of China from Safeguard Import Limits

December 23, 2004.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Exempting Certain Products from China Textile Safeguard Import 
Limit.

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SUMMARY: The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements 
(CITA) has determined that certain products, exempted from visa and 
quota requirements under previous arrangements, should also be exempted 
from limits imposed on textile and textile product imports from China 
under paragraph 242 of the Report of the Working Party on the Accession 
of China to the World Trade Organization (Accession Agreement).

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 29, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ross Arnold, Office of Textiles and 
Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-3400.

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.
    Paragraph 242 of the Report of the Working Party on the Accession 
of China to the World Trade Organization (WTO) allows WTO Members that 
believe imports of Chinese origin textile and apparel products are, due 
to market disruption, threatening to impede the orderly development of 
trade in these products to request consultations with the People's 
Republic of China with a view to easing or avoiding such market 
disruption. CITA has imposed limits on imports from China pursuant to 
Paragraph 242 (see 68 FR 74944, 68 FR 74945, 68 FR 74947, and 69 FR 
63371).CITA has in the past exempted from quota and visa requirements 
textile and textile products entered under certain subheadings of the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), including 
articles, previously imported, with respect to which the duty was paid 
upon such previous importation or which were previously free of duty, 
entered under HTS subheadings 9801.00.20, 9801.00.25, or 9801.00.26; 
articles returned to the United States after having been exported to be 
advanced in value or improved in condition, entered under HTS 
subheadings 9802.00.40 or 9802.00.50; certain commercial samples 
treated to be unsuitable for sale or for use otherwise than as a 
sample, to be used in the United States only for soliciting orders for 
products of foreign countries valued at U.S. $1 or less, entered under 
HTS subheading 9811.00.60; articles to be repaired, altered or 
processed (including processes which result in articles manufactured or 
produced in the United States), entered under HTS subheading 
9813.00.05; articles not intended for sale or distribution to the 
public that are associated with an international athletic event held in 
the United States, such as the Olympics or similar international 
athletic event, entered under HTS subheading 9817.60.00. CITA has also 
exempted properly marked commercial samples valued at $800 or less from 
these requirements.
    In the directive below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection, to exempt such items from 
limits imposed under Paragraph 242.

D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

December 23, 2004.

Commissioner,
Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Washington, D.C. 20229.
    Dear Commissioner: Effective on December 29, 2004, in accordance 
with paragraph 242 of the China Accession Agreement and the 
procedures set forth by the Committee on May 21, 2003 (68 FR 27787), 
as clarified on August 18, 2003 (68 FR 49440), the United States has 
established, and may in future establish, safeguard limits on 
certain textile and apparel products from China.
    Properly marked commercial samples valued at U.S.$800 or less 
and importations under HTS items:
9801.00.20
9801.00.25
9801.00.26
9802.00.40
9802.00.50
9811.00.60
9813.00.05
9817.60.00
shall not be charged to applicable quota limits.
    The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has 
determined that this action falls within the foreign affairs 
exception to the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).
    Sincerely,
D. Michael Hutchinson,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.
[FR Doc. 04-28525 Filed 12-28-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-S