[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 23, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8783-8784]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-740]


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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 and Reinstating Textile 
Visa Requirements

February 17, 2005.

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 reinstating textile visa 
requirements.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2005.

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 Bureau of Customs and Border Protection website 
(http://www.cbp.gov), or call (202) 344-2650. 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 Bilateral Textile Agreement of July 22, 1998, as amended and 
extended by exchange of notes on November 19, 2004, December 31, 2004, 
and February 7, 2005, 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, 2005 and extending through December 31, 2005. Goods exported 
from Ukraine will also no longer be subject to the notice and letter 
concerning overshipments of 2004 limits (see 69 FR 72181, published on 
December 13, 2004).
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection to establish the 
2005 limits. The letter also directs the Commissioner to reinstate 
textile visa requirements for Ukraine; those requirements were 
suspended in a notice and letter to the Commissioner dated December 30, 
2004 (see 70 FR 793, published on January 5, 2005). These requirements 
are set forth in the notice and letter to the Commissioner of Customs 
dated February 22, 1999 (see 64 FR 9477). In order to provide a period 
for adjustment, the United States will allow shipments of goods that 
are not accompanied by an export visa to enter the United States if 
exported prior to March 25, 2005. However, shipments exported from 
Ukraine on or after March 25, 2005, must be accompanied by an export 
visa issued by the Government of Ukraine, and shipments without an 
export visa will be denied entry.
    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 69 FR 4926, published on February 2, 2004). Information 
regarding the availability of the 2005 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

February 17, 2005.

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 Bilateral Textile Agreement of 
July 22, 1998, as amended and extended by exchange of notes on 
November 19, 2004, December 31, 2004, and February 7, 2005, between 
the Governments of the United States and Ukraine, you are directed 
to prohibit, effective on January 1, 2005, 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, 2005 and extending through December 31, 
2005, in excess of the following levels of restraint:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Category                        Twelve-month limit
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435.......................................  108,000 dozen.
442.......................................  17,230 dozen.
444.......................................  74,665 numbers.
448.......................................  74,665 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

[[Page 8784]]

Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO agreement 
to Ukraine.
    Products in the above categories exported during 2004 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see 
directive dated December 10, 2003) 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. Goods exported from 
Ukraine will also no longer be subject to the directive dated 
December 9, 2004 concerning overshipments of 2004 limits.
    You are also directed to reinstate textile visa requirements for 
Ukraine, as set forth in the directive dated February 22, 1999, thus 
canceling the directive dated December 30, 2004 that suspended such 
requirements. In order to provide a period for adjustment, the 
United States will allow shipments of goods that are not accompanied 
by an export visa to enter the United States if exported prior to 
March 25, 2005. However, shipments exported from Ukraine on or after 
March 25, 2005, must be accompanied by an export visa issued by the 
Government of Ukraine, and shipments without an export visa will be 
denied entry.
    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. E5-740 Filed 2-22-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DRS