[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 238 (Thursday, December 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65246-65248]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32411]


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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 Thailand

December 5, 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: Ross Arnold, 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:


[[Page 65247]]


    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 Thailand and exported during the period January 1, 1998 
through December 31, 1998 are based on limits notified to the Textiles 
Monitoring Body pursuant to the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and 
Clothing (ATC) and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated October 
28, 1997 between the Governments of the United States and Thailand.
    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 Thailand 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.
    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
December 5, 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; the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles 
and Clothing (ATC); and a Memorandum of Understanding dated October 
28, 1997, 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 Thailand and 
exported during the twelve-month period beginning on January 1, 1998 
and extending through December 31, 1998, in excess of the following 
limits:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Category                   Twelve-month restraint limit
------------------------------------------------------------------------
239pt. \1\................................  1,820,473 kilograms.        
Levels in Group I                                                       
200.......................................  1,188,153 kilograms.        
218.......................................  19,052,219 square meters.   
219.......................................  6,336,820 square meters.    
300.......................................  4,752,615 kilograms.        
301-P \2\.................................  4,752,615 kilograms.        
301-O \3\.................................  950,524 kilograms.          
313.......................................  22,178,868 square meters.   
314.......................................  50,694,554 square meters.   
315.......................................  31,684,096 square meters.   
317/326...................................  13,301,290 square meters.   
363.......................................  20,594,662 numbers.         
369-D \4\.................................  226,542 kilograms.          
369-S \5\.................................  316,841 kilograms.          
603.......................................  2,233,000 kilograms.        
604.......................................  741,300 kilograms of which  
                                             not more than 475,261      
                                             kilograms shall be in      
                                             Category 604-A \6\.        
607.......................................  3,168,408 kilograms.        
611.......................................  12,984,460 square meters.   
613/614/615...............................  47,884,640 square meters of 
                                             which not more than        
                                             27,882,005 square meters   
                                             shall be in Categories 613/
                                             615 and not more than      
                                             27,882,005 square meters   
                                             shall be in Category 614.  
617.......................................  17,291,675 square meters.   
619.......................................  7,128,921 square meters.    
620.......................................  7,128,921 square meters.    
625/626/627/628/629.......................  13,966,353 square meters of 
                                             which not more than        
                                             11,089,433 square meters   
                                             shall be in Category 625.  
669-P \7\.................................  6,682,434 kilograms.        
Group II                                                                
237, 331-348, 350-352, 359-H \8\, 359pt.    290,686,162 square meters   
 \9\, 431, 433-438, 440, 442-448, 459pt.     equivalent.                
 \10\, 631, 633-652, 659-H \11\, 659pt.                                 
 \12\, 831, 833-838, 840-858 and 859pt.                                 
 \13\, as a group.                                                      
Sublevels in Group II                                                   
  331/631.................................  1,729,340 dozen pairs.      
  334/634.................................  617,840 dozen.              
  335/635/835.............................  491,103 dozen.              
  336/636.................................  316,841 dozen.              
  338/339.................................  1,909,005 dozen.            
  340.....................................  285,157 dozen.              
  341/641.................................  673,287 dozen.              
  342/642.................................  586,156 dozen.              
  345.....................................  300,999 dozen.              
  347/348/847.............................  827,746 dozen.              
  351/651.................................  237,630 dozen.              
  359-H/659-H.............................  1,390,006 kilograms.        
  433.....................................  9,642 dozen.                
  434.....................................  11,902 dozen.               
  435.....................................  54,085 dozen.               
  438.....................................  17,853 dozen.               
  442.....................................  20,732 dozen.               
  638/639.................................  2,249,899 dozen.            
  640.....................................  522,787 dozen.              
  645/646.................................  316,841 dozen.              
  647/648.................................  1,127,954 dozen.            
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Category 239pt.: only HTS number 6209.20.5040 (diapers).            
\2\ Category 301-P: only HTS numbers 5206.21.0000, 5206.22.0000,        
  5206.23.0000, 5206.24.0000, 5206.25.0000, 5206.41.0000, 5206.42.0000, 
  5206.43.0000, 5206.44.0000 and 5206.45.0000.                          
\3\ Category 301-O: only HTS numbers 5205.21.0020, 5205.21.0090,        
  5205.22.0020, 5205.22.0090, 5205.23.0020, 5205.23.0090, 5205.24.0020, 
  5205.24.0090, 5205.26.0020, 5205.26.0090, 5205.27.0020, 5205.27.0090, 
  5205.28.0020, 5205.28.0090, 5205.41.0020, 5205.41.0090, 5205.42.0020, 
  5205.42.0090, 5205.43.0020, 5205.43.0090, 5205.44.0020, 5205.44.0090, 
  5205.46.0020, 5205.46.0090, 5205.47.0020, 5205.47.0090, 5205.48.0020  
  and 5205.48.0090.                                                     
\4\ Category 369-D: only HTS numbers 6302.60.0010, 6302.91.0005 and     
  6302.91.0045.                                                         
\5\ Category 369-S: only HTS number 6307.10.2005.                       
\6\ Category 604-A: only HTS number 5509.32.0000.                       
\7\ Category 669-P: only HTS numbers 6305.32.0010, 6305.32.0020,        
  6305.33.0010, 6305.33.0020 and 6305.39.0000.                          
\8\ Category 359-H: only HTS numbers 6505.90.1540 and 6505.90.2060.     
\9\ Category 359pt.: all HTS numbers except 6505.90.1540, 6505.20.2060  
  (Category 359-H); and 6406.99.1550.                                   
\10\ Category 459pt.: all HTS numbers except 6405.20.6030, 6405.20.6060,
  6405.20.6090, 6406.99.1505 and 6406.99.1560.                          
\11\ Category 659-H: only HTS numbers 6502.00.9030, 6504.00.9015,       
  6504.00.9060, 6505.90.5090, 6505.90.6090, 6505.90.7090 and            
  6505.90.8090.                                                         
\12\ Category 659pt.: all HTS numbers except 6502.00.9030, 6504.00.9015,
  6504.00.9060, 6505.90.5090, 6505.90.6090, 6505.90.7090, 6505.90.8090  
  (Category 659-H); 6406.99.1510 and 6406.99.1540.                      
\13\ Category 859pt.: only HTS numbers 6115.19.8040, 6117.10.6020,      
  6212.10.5030, 6212.10.9040, 6212.20.0030, 6212.30.0030, 6212.90.0090, 
  6214.10.2000 and 6214.90.0090.                                        

    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 
directives dated November 4, 1996 and November 3, 1997) to the 
extent of any unfilled balances. In the event the limits

[[Page 65248]]

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 Thailand of its intent to continue the 
bilateral visa arrangement for those products. An export visa will 
continue to be required, if applicable, for products integrated on 
and after January 1, 1998, before entry is permitted into the United 
States.
    The conversion factors for merged Categories 359-H/659-H and 
638/639 are 11.5 and 12.96, respectively.
    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. 97-32411 Filed 12-10-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F