Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 182 / Friday, September 19, 1997 / Notices 49207

jackets entered under the Special Access

Program (9802.00.8015) provided they are cut

in the United States and of a type described

below:

(1) A chest plate, ‘‘hymo’’ piece or ‘‘sleeve

header’’ of woven or weft-inserted warp knit

construction of coarse animal hair or manmade filaments used in the manufacture of

nen’s or boys’ tailored suit jackets and suittype jackets;

(2) A weft-inserted warp knit fabric which

contains and exhibits properties of elasticity

and resilience which render the fabric

especially suitable for attachment by fusing

with a thermo-plastic adhesive to the coatfront, side body or back of men’s or boys’

tailored suit jackets and suit-type jackets.

(3) A woven fabric which contains and

exhibits properties of resiliency which render

the fabric especially suitable for attachment

by fusing with a thermo-plastic adhesive to

the coat-front, side body or back of men’s or

boys’ tailored suit jackets and suit-type

jackets.

The Committee for the Implementation of

Textile Agreements has determined that this

action falls within the foreign affairs

exception of the rulemaking provisions of 5

U.S.C. 553(a)(1).

Sincerely,

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation

of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc. 97–24869 Filed 9–18–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–F

COMMITTEE FOR THE

IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE

AGREEMENTS

Request for Public Comments on

Bilateral Consultations with the

Government of Thailand

September 15, 1997.

AGENCY: Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements

(CITA).

ACTION: Notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ross

Arnold, International Trade Specialist,

Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S.

Department of Commerce, (202) 482–

4212. For information on categories for

which consultations have been

requested, call (202) 482–3740.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: Executive Order 11651 of March

3, 1972, as amended; section 204 of the

Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7

U.S.C. 1854); Uruguay Round Agreements

Act.

On August 28, 1997, under the terms

of Article 6 of the Uruguay Round

Agreement on Textiles and Clothing

(ATC) and the Uruguay Round

Agreements Act, the Government of the

United States requested consultations

with the Government of Thailand with

respect to yarn, 85% or more by weight

artificial staple fiber, Category 603,

produced or manufactured in Thailand.

The purpose of this notice is to advise

the public that, if no solution is agreed

upon in consultations with the

Government of Thailand, the

Government of the United States

reserves its right to establish a twelvemonth limit of not less than 1,664,653

kilograms for the entry and withdrawal

from warehouse for consumption of

yarn of 85% or more artificial staple

fiber in Category 603, produced or

manufactured in Thailand.

A summary statement of serious

damage, the actual threat of serious

damage or the exacerbation of serious

damage concerning Category 603

follows this notice.

Anyone wishing to comment or

provide data or information regarding

the treatment of Category 603 or to

comment on domestic production or

availability of products included in

Category 603 is invited to submit 10

copies of such comments or information

to Troy H. Cribb, Chairman, Committee

for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements, U.S. Department of

Commerce, Washington, DC 20230;

ATTN: Helen L. LeGrande. The

comments received will be considered

in the context of the consultations with

the Government of Thailand.

Because the exact timing of the

consultations is not yet certain,

comments should be submitted

promptly. Comments or information

submitted in response to this notice will

be available for public inspection in the

Office of Textiles and Apparel, room

H3100, U.S. Department of Commerce,

14th and Constitution Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC.

Further comments may be invited

regarding particular comments or

information received from the public

which the Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements

considers appropriate for further

consideration.

The solicitation of comments

regarding any aspect of the

implementation of an agreement is not

a waiver in any respect of the exemption

contained in 5 U.S.C.553(a)(1) relating

to matters which constitute ‘‘a foreign

affairs function of the United States.’’

The United States remains committed

to finding a solution concerning

Category 603. Should such a solution be

reached in consultations with the

Government of Thailand, further notice

will be published in the Federal

Register.

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 61 FR 66263,

published on December 17, 1996).

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation

of Textile Agreements.

Summary of Statement in Support of

Request for Consultations Under Article 6

of the ATC—Thailand

Category 603—Yarn, 85 Percent or more by

Weight Artificial Staple Fiber

August 1997

The USG has determined that the

increase in imports of yarn for sale, 85

percent or more by weight artificial

staple fiber, Category 603, has caused

serious damage, or actual threat thereof,

to the industry in the United States

producing like and/or directly

competitive yarn for sale.

Imports of the subject yarn from all

sources increased by 15.9 percent in

1996 over 1995, a net increase of nearly

2.0 million kilograms. Domestic orders

fell by 19.5 percent and domestic

production declined 7.7 percent in 1996

as inventories increased by 17.4 percent.

Increasing low-valued imports forced

domestic spinners to cut their prices

and margins to remain price

competitive. Mills cut prices in 1996

and continued to lose orders to imports

with unfilled orders dropping 19.5

percent in 1996 below the 1995 level.

During the first quarter of 1997 domestic

industry orders fell 26.3 percent, as

inventories increased 22.3 percent and

production fell 20 percent from the

same period last year.

Capacity utilization declined as

production fell, causing severe margin

pressure as fixed costs had to be

allocated over fewer sales, which cut

gross margins. Compounded with the

pressure to lower prices, mills’

profitability evaporated. Seventy-eight

percent of the companies reported

declining profitability in 1996 on the

product in question. Two mills fell

victim to the margin squeeze and shut

down. Production worker employment

in the defined industry lost a total of

403 jobs in 1996. More jobs were lost in

1997, as another firm exited the

business, resulting in a net loss of 619

jobs from 1995 to the first quarter of

1997.

The USG concluded that the increase

in imports from 1995 to 1996 is the

direct cause of serious damage to the

industry as reflected in the industry’s

declining production, the substantial

increase in inventories, the industry’s

deteriorating financial performance, and

the significant fall in unfilled orders,

man-hours, and employment.
49208 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 182 / Friday, September 19, 1997 / Notices

The USG has also determined that

serious damage to this industry is

directly attributable to a sharp and

substantial increase in imports of the

subject yarn from Thailand. Imports

from Thailand have increased

significantly, both absolutely and

relative to domestic production and

world imports, thereby increasing

Thailand’s share of U.S. imports and the

U.S. market. Thailand’s low-valued

imports adversely affected U.S.

domestic prices.U.S. imports of the

subject yarn from Thailand rose to

1,279,683 kilograms in 1996, an increase

of 22.3 percent above the 1,046,174

kilograms imported during 1995. In the

first quarter of 1997, imports from

Thailand surged to 610,843 kilograms,

85.8 percent above the 328,698

kilograms imported in the first quarter

of 1996. Imports from Thailand for the

year ending June 1997 reached

1,557,205 kilograms, 39.7 percent above

the 1,114,926 kilograms imported

during the same period a year earlier.

The USG further determined that

increases in imports of the subject yarn

from all sources constitute the actual

threat of serious damage or the

exacerbation of serious damage to the

defined domestic industry producing a

like and/or directly competitive

product, and that, based on sharp and

substantial increases in imports of the

subject product from Thailand, such

threat was attributable to Thailand.

[FR Doc. 97–24868 Filed 9–18–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–F

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force

HQ USAF Scientific Advisory Board

Meeting

The C2 Advisory Group Meeting in

support of the HQ USAF Scientific

Advisory Board will meet at Norfolk,

VA on October 29–30, 1997, from 8:00

a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The purpose of the meeting is to

gather information and receive briefings.

The meeting will be closed to the

public in accordance with section 552b

of Title 5, United States Code,

specifically subparagraphs (1) and (4)

thereof.

For further information, contact the

HQ USAF Scientific Advisory Board

Secretariat at (703) 697–8404.

Barbara A. Carmichael,

Alternate Air Force Federal Register Liaison

Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–24905 Filed 9–18–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3910–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Scientific Advisory Board

AGENCY: Armed Forces Institute of

Pathology (AFIP), DOD.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: In accordance with 10(a)(2) of

the Federal Advisory Committee Act,

Pub. L. (92–463) announcement is made

of the following open meeting:

Name of Committee: Scientific

Advisory Board (SAB).

Dates of Meeting: 13–14 November

1997.

Place: Armed Forces Institute of

Pathology, Building 54, 14th St & Alaska

Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20306–6000.

Time: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (13

November 1997); 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

(14 November 1997).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Ridgely Rabold, Center for Advanced

Pathology (CAP), AFIP, Building 54,

Washington, DC 20306–6000, phone

(202) 782–2553.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

General function of the board: The

Scientific Advisory Board provides

scientific and professional advice and

guidance on programs, policies, and

procedures of the AFIP.

Agenda: The Board will hear status

reports from the AFIP Deputy Directors,

Center for Advanced Pathology Director,

the National Museum of Health and

Medicine, and each of the pathology

departments. Board Members will visit

several of the pathology departments.

Open board discussions: Reports will

be given on all visited departments. The

reports will consist of findings,

recommended areas of further research,

and suggested solutions. New trends

and/or technologies will be discussed

and goals established. The meeting is

open to the public.

Mary V. Yonts,

Alternate Army Federal Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–24899 Filed 9–18–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3710–08–M

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Notice of Proposed Information

Collection Requests

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information

collection requests.

SUMMARY: The Deputy Chief Information

Officer, Office of the Chief Information

Officer, invites comments on the

proposed information collection

requests as required by the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: An emergency review has been

requested in accordance with the Act

(44 U.S.C. Chapter 3507 (j)), since

public harm is reasonably likely to

result if normal clearance procedures

are followed. Approval by the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) has

been requested by October 1, 1997. A

regular clearance process is also

beginning. Interested persons are

invited to submit comments on or before

November 18, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Written comments

regarding the emergency review should

be addressed to the Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

Attention: Dan Chenok, Desk Officer:

Department of Education, Office of

Management and Budget, 725 17th

Street, NW., Room 10235, New

Executive Office Building, Washington,

DC 20503. Requests for copies of the

proposed information collection request

should be addressed to Patrick J.

Sherrill, Department of Education, 7th &

D Streets, SW., Room 5624, Regional

Office Building 3, Washington, DC

20202–4651. Written comments

regarding the regular clearance and

requests for copies of the proposed

information collection requests should

be addressed to Patrick J. Sherrill,

Department of Education, 600

Independence Avenue, SW., Room

5624, Regional Office Building 3,

Washington, DC 20202–4651, or should

be electronic mailed to the internet

address #FIRB@ed.gov, or should be

faxed to 202–708-9346.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Patrick J. Sherrill (202) 708–8196.

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the Federal Information

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time,

Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

3506 (c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.

Chapter 3506 (c)(2)(A) requires that the

Director of OMB provide interested

Federal agencies and the public an early

opportunity to comment on information

collection requests. The Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) may

amend or waive the requirement for

public consultation to the extent that

public participation in the approval

process would defeat the purpose of the

information collection, violate State or

Federal law, or substantially interfere

with any agency’s ability to perform its

statutory obligations. The Deputy Chief

Information Officer, Office of the Chief