49206 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 182 / Friday, September 19, 1997 / Notices

Agreement. Panel review was requested

of the final antidumping duty

administrative review made by the

International Trade Administration, in

the antidumping investigation

respecting Porcelain-on-Steel Cookware

from Mexico. This determination was

published in the Federal Register, 62,

42,496 on August 7, 1997. The NAFTA

Secretariat has assigned Case Number

USA–97–1904–07 to this request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

James R. Holbein, United States

Secretary, NAFTA Secretariat, Suite

2061, 14th and Constitution Avenue,

Washington, DC 20230, (202) 482–5438.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Chapter

19 of the North American Free-Trade

Agreement (‘‘Agreement’’) establishes a

mechanism to replace domestic judicial

review of final determinations in

antidumping and countervailing duty

cases involving imports from a NAFTA

country with review by independent

binational panels. When a Request for

Panel Review is filed, a panel is

established to act in place of national

courts to review expeditiously the final

determination to determine whether it

conforms with the antidumping or

countervailing duty law of the country

that made the determination.

Under Article 1904 of the Agreement,

which came into force on January 1,

1994, the Government of the United

States, the Government of Canada and

the Government of Mexico established

Rules of Procedure for Article 1904

Binational Panel Reviews (‘‘Rules’’).

These Rules were published in the

Federal Register on February 23, 1994

(59 FR 8686).

A first Request for Panel Review was

filed with the United States Section of

the NAFTA Secretariat, pursuant to

Article 1904 of the Agreement, on

September 2, 1996, requesting panel

review of the final antidumping duty

administrative review described above.

The Rules provide that:

(a) A Party or interested person may

challenge the final determination in

whole or in part by filing a Complaint

in accordance with Rule 39 within 30

days after the filing of the first Request

for Panel Review (the deadline for filing

a Complaint is October 2, 1997);

(b) A Party, investigating authority or

interested person that does not file a

Complaint but that intends to appear in

support of any reviewable portion of the

final determination may participate in

the panel review by filing a notice of

appearance in accordance with Rule 40

within 45 days after the filing of the first

Request for Panel Review (the deadline

for filing a notice of appearance is

October 17, 1997); and

(c) The panel review shall be limited

to the allegations of error of fact or law,

including the jurisdiction of the

investigating authority, that are set out

in the Complaints filed in the panel

review and the procedural and

substantive defenses raised in the panel

review.

Dated: September 15, 1997.

James R. Holbein,

United States Secretary, NAFTA Secretariat.

[FR Doc. 97–24906 Filed 9–18–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–GT–P

COMMITTEE FOR THE

IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE

AGREEMENTS

Extension of Temporary Amendment

to the Requirements for Participating

in the Special Access Progam for

Caribbean Basin Countries

September 15, 1997.

AGENCY: Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements

(CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the

Commissioner of Customs extending

amendment of requirements for

participation in the Special Access

Program for a temporary period.

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 23, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lori

E. Mennitt, International Trade

Specialist, Office of Textiles and

Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce,

(202) 482–3400.

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).

A notice and letter to the

Commissioner of Customs published in

the Federal Register on September 20,

1996 (61 FR 49439) announced the

temporary amendment to the foreign

origin exception for findings and

trimmings under the Special Access

Program. By date of export, the foreign

origin exception for findings and

trimmings, including elastic strips of

less than one inch in width, under the

Special Access Program were

temporarily amended to include nonU.S. formed, U.S. cut interlinings for the

period September 23, 1996 through

September 22, 1997 for men’s and boys’

suit jackets and suit-type jackets in

Categories 433, 443, 633 and 643. In the

aggregate, such interlinings, findings

and trimmings must not exceed 25

percent of the cost of the components of

the assembled article. This amendment

is being extended for a six-month period

beginning on September 23, 1997 and

extending through March 22, 1998 for

men’s and boys’ suit jackets and suittype jackets in Categories 433, 443, 633

and 643 entered under the Special

Access Program (9802.00.8015)

provided they are cut in the United

States and are of a type described below:

(1) A chest type plate, ‘‘hymo’’ piece

or ‘‘sleeve header’’ of woven or welfinserted warp knit construction of

coarse animal hair or man-made

filaments used in the manufacture of

men’s or boys’ tailored suit jackets and

suit-type 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 thermoplastic adhesive to the coat-front, 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 coatfront, side body or back of men’s or

boys’ tailored suit jackets and suit-type

jackets.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation

of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements

September 15, 1997.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC

20229.

Dear Commissioner: This directive amends

but does not cancel the directive issued to

you on September 16, 1996, by the Chairman,

Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements. That directive concerns the

foreign origin exception for findings and

trimmings under the Special Access Program.

Effective on September 23, 1997, by date of

export, you are directed to extend, for the sixmonth period September 23, 1997 through

March 22, 1998, the amendment to treat nonU.S. formed, U.S.-cut interlinings, further

described below, for men’s and boys’ wool

and man-made fiber suit jackets and suit-type

jackets in Categories 433, 443, 633 and 643

as qualifying for the exception for findings

and trimmings, including elastic strips less

than one inch in width, created under the

Special Access Program established effective

September 1, 1986 (see 51 FR 21208). In the

aggregate, such interlinings, findings and

trimmings must not exceed 25 percent of the

cost of the components of the assembled

article.

The amendment implemented by this

directive shall be of a temporary nature. The

amendment will terminate on March 22,

1998, by date of export.

As described above, non-U.S. formed, U.S.-

cut interlinings may be used in imports of

men’s or boys’ suit jackets and suit-type
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.