[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 67 (Friday, April 8, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17978-17979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-7254]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Solicitation of Public Comments Regarding Possible Safeguard 
Action on Imports from China of Cotton Knit shirts and Blouses

April 6, 2005.
AGENCY: The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (the 
Committee)

ACTION: Solicitation of public comments regarding possible safeguard 
action on imports from China of cotton knit shirts and blouses, 
Category 338/339.

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SUMMARY: The Committee has decided, on its own initiative, to consider 
whether imports of Chinese origin cotton knit shirts and blouses, 
Category 338/339 are, due to market disruption, threatening to impede 
the orderly development of trade in these products. The Committee is 
soliciting public comments to assist it in considering this issue and 
in determining whether safeguard action is appropriate.
    Comments may be submitted by any interested person. Comments must 
be received no later than May 9, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jay Dowling, Office of Textiles and 
Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-4058.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Authority: Section 204 of the Agriculture Act of 1956, as 
amended; Executive Order 11651, as amended.

BACKGROUND:

    The Report of the Working Party on the Accession of China to the 
World Trade Organization (Accession Agreement) provides that, if a WTO 
Member, such as the United States, believes that imports of Chinese 
origin textile and apparel products are, ``due to market disruption, 
threatening to impede the orderly development of trade in these 
products'', it may request consultations with China with a view to 
easing or avoiding the disruption. Pursuant to this provision, if the 
United States requests consultations with China, it must, in the 
context of this request, provide China with a detailed factual 
statement showing (1) the existence of market disruption; and (2) the 
role of products of Chinese origin in that disruption. Beginning on the 
date that it receives such a request, China must restrict its shipments 
to the United States to a level no greater than 7.5 percent (6 percent 
for wool product categories) above the amount entered during the first 
12 months of the most recent 14 months preceding the request.

[[Page 17979]]

    On April 4, 2005, the Committee decided, on its own initiative, to 
consider whether imports of Chinese origin cotton knit shirts and 
blouses, Category 338/339 are, due to the existence of market 
disruption, threatening to impede the orderly development of trade in 
these products. See 68 FR 27787, May 21, 2003; 68 FR 494440, August 18, 
2003.
    The Committee is soliciting public comments on this matter. It 
invites the public to provide information and analyses to assist the 
Committee in considering whether market disruption exists, and, if so, 
the role of imports from China in that disruption. Such information may 
include the following: recent and historical data regarding the U.S. 
market for cotton knit shirts and blouses (including import and U.S. 
production data); a description of how, if at all, Chinese origin 
cotton knit shirts and blouses have affected the domestic industry, 
such as the effects of imports from China on prices in the United 
States; and any other pertinent information. Any member of the public 
who provides information to the Committee should also indicate the 
sources from which information provided was obtained.
    In providing comments, the public may wish to consider the 
following data which are available at website: http://otexa.ita.doc.gov:

Category 338/339, Cotton knit shirts and blouses (1,000 dozen)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Imports from    Imports from    China's Share
         Period             the World          China      of Imports (%)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2002                     265,158          2,848           1.1
2003                     309,038          2,602           0.8
2004                     322,212          2,816           0.9
Year-to-date March 2004  83,663           518             0.6
Year-to-date March 2005  98,493           7,040           7.1
 \1\
Year-ending March 2004   310,814          2,448           0.8
Year-ending March 2005   337,042          9,338           2.8
 \1\
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\1\ Includes preliminary data for 2005.

    For purposes of clarification, the Committee notes this is not a 
solicitation for comments regarding any possible ``threat'' of market 
disruption.
    Comments may be submitted by any interested person. Comments must 
be received no later than May 9, 2005. Interested persons are invited 
to submit ten copies of such comments to the Chairman, Committee for 
the Implementation of Textile Agreements, Room 3100A, U.S. Department 
of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue N.W., Washington, DC 20230.
    The Committee will protect any business confidential information 
that is marked ``business confidential'' from disclosure to the full 
extent permitted by law. To the extent that business confidential 
information is provided, two copies of a non-confidential version must 
also be provided in which business confidential information is 
summarized or, if necessary, deleted. Comments received, with the 
exception of information marked ``business confidential'', will be 
available for inspection between Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m and 5:30 p.m 
in the Trade Reference and Assistance Center Help Desk, Suite 800M, USA 
Trade Information Center, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, (202) 482-3433.
    The Committee expects to make a determination within 60 calendar 
days of the close of the comment period as to whether the United States 
will request consultations with China. If, however, the Committee is 
unable to make a determination within 60 calendar days, it will cause 
to be published a notice in the Federal Register, including the date by 
which it will make a determination. If the Committee makes a negative 
determination, it will cause this determination and the reasons 
therefore to be published in the Federal Register. If the Committee 
makes an affirmative determination that imports of Chinese origin 
cotton knit shirts and blouses, Category 338/339 are, due to market 
disruption, threatening to impede the orderly development of trade in 
these products, the United States will request consultations with China 
with a view to easing such market disruption in accordance with the 
Accession Agreement and with the Committee's procedures.

James C. Leonard III,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 05-7254 Filed 4-06-05; 2:34 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS