[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 230 (Monday, December 1, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63526-63527]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-31435]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool, 
Man-Made Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Textiles and 
Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Romania

November 25, 1997.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing 
limits.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roy Unger, 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 Quota Status Reports posted on the bulletin boards 
of each Customs port or call (202) 927-5850. For information on 
embargoes and quota re-openings, call (202) 482-3715.

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 import restraint limits for textile products, produced or 
manufactured in Romania and exported during the period January 1, 1998 
through December 31, 1998 are based on the limits notified to the 
Textiles Monitoring Body pursuant to the Uruguay Round Agreement on 
Textiles and Clothing (ATC).
    Pursuant to the provisions of the ATC, the second stage of the 
integration commences on January 1, 1998 (see 60 FR 21075, published on 
May 1, 1995). Accordingly, certain previously restrained categories may 
have been modified or eliminated and certain limits may have been 
revised. Integrated products will no longer be subject to quota. CITA 
has informed Romania of its intent to continue the bilateral visa 
arrangement for those products.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1998 limits. The limits for 
Categories 443 and 647 have been reduced for carryforward applied to 
the 1997 limits.
    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). Also see 
62 FR 51832, published on October 3, 1997. Information regarding the 
1998 CORRELATION will be published in the Federal Register at a later 
date.
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
November 25, 1997.

Commissioner of Customs,
Department of the Treasury, 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 Uruguay Round Agreement on 
Textiles and Clothing (ATC), you are directed to prohibit, effective 
on January 1, 1998, entry into the United States for consumption and 
withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of cotton, wool, man-made 
fiber, silk blend and other vegetable fiber textiles and textile 
products in the following categories, produced or manufactured in 
Romania and exported during the twelve-month period beginning on 
January 1, 1998 and extending through December 31, 1998, in excess 
of the following levels of restraint:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Category                        Twelve-month limit     
------------------------------------------------------------------------
313.......................................  1,968,902 square meters.    
314.......................................  1,476,676 square meters.    
315.......................................  3,553,624 square meters.    
333/833...................................  140,743 dozen.              
334.......................................  340,192 dozen.              
335/835...................................  178,276 dozen.              
338/339...................................  769,400 dozen.              
340.......................................  335,838 dozen.              
341/840...................................  140,743 dozen.              
347/348...................................  600,508 dozen.              
350.......................................  31,790 dozen.               
352.......................................  214,071 dozen.              
359pt. \1\................................  767,866 kilograms.          
360.......................................  1,984,379 numbers.          
361.......................................  1,322,920 numbers.          
369pt. \2\................................  348,252 kilograms.          
410.......................................  172,003 square meters.      
433/434...................................  9,527 dozen.                
435.......................................  9,965 dozen.                
442.......................................  11,541 dozen.               
443.......................................  83,772 numbers.             
444.......................................  41,970 numbers.             
447/448...................................  23,146 dozen.               
604.......................................  1,641,933 kilograms.        
638/639...................................  704,843 dozen.              
640.......................................  96,940 dozen.               
647.......................................  92,290 dozen.               
648.......................................  69,778 dozen.               
666.......................................  140,538 kilograms.          
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Category 359pt.: all HTS numbers except 6406.99.1550.               
\2\ Category 369pt.: all HTS numbers except 5601.10.1000, 5601.21.0090, 
  5701.90.1020, 5701.90.2020, 5702.10.9020, 5702.39.2010, 5702.49.1020, 
  5702.49.1080, 5702.59.1000, 5702.99.1010, 5702.99.1090, 5705.00.2020  
  and 6406.10.7700.                                                     

    The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to 
the provisions of the ATC and administrative arrangements notified 
to the Textiles Monitoring Body.
    Products in the above categories exported during 1997 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see 
directive dated January 22, 1997) 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.
    Products for integration in 1998 listed in the Federal Register 
notice published on May 1, 1995 (60 FR 21075) which are exported 
during 1997 shall be charged to the applicable limits to the extent 
of any unfilled balances. After January 1, 1998, should those 
unfilled balances be exhausted, such products shall no longer be 
charged to any limit, due to integration of these products into GATT 
1994.
    CITA has informed Romania of its intent to continue the 
bilateral visa arrangement for those products. An export visa will 
continue

[[Page 63527]]

to be required, if applicable, for products integrated on and after 
January 1, 1998, before entry is permitted into the United States.
    In carrying out the above directions, the Commissioner of 
Customs 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,
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 97-31435 Filed 11-28-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F