[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 248 (Monday, December 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67621-67622]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33704]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool 
and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in the 
Federative Republic of Brazil

December 19, 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 Brazil 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).
    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 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 60 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 19, 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 and man-
made fiber textile products in the following categories, produced or 
manufactured in Brazil 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 restraint limit
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aggregate Limit                                                         
200-227, 237, 239pt. \1\, 300-326, 331-     500,650,808 square meters   
 348, 350-352, 359pt. \2\, 360-363, 369-D    equivalent.                
 \3\, 369pt. \4\, 400-431, 433-438, 440-                                
 448, 459pt. \5\, 464, 469pt. \6\, 600-                                 
 629, 631, 633-652, 659pt. \7\, 666, 669-P                              
 \8\, 669pt. \9\ and 670, as a group.                                   
Sublevels within the aggregate                                          
218.......................................  6,221,165 square meters.    
219.......................................  22,712,779 square meters.   
225.......................................  10,887,040 square meters.   
300/301...................................  8,437,331 kilograms.        
313.......................................  52,246,740 square meters.   
314.......................................  8,554,104 square meters.    
315.......................................  25,662,311 square meters.   
317/326...................................  23,329,372 square meters.   
334/335...................................  167,409 dozen.              
336.......................................  93,006 dozen.               
338/339/638/639...........................  1,674,103 dozen.            
342/642...................................  492,929 dozen.              
347/348...................................  1,209,074 dozen.            
350.......................................  187,577 dozen.              
361.......................................  1,264,877 numbers.          
363.......................................  26,995,523 numbers.         
369-D.....................................  602,939 kilograms.          
410/624...................................  12,442,332 square meters of 
                                             which not more than        
                                             2,696,502 square meters    
                                             shall be in Category 410.  
433.......................................  18,719 dozen.               
445/446...................................  73,328 dozen.               
604.......................................  590,613 kilograms of which  
                                             not more than 451,398      
                                             kilograms shall be in      
                                             Category 604-A \10\.       
607.......................................  5,484,267 kilograms.        
647/648...................................  558,035 dozen.              
669-P.....................................  2,009,800 kilograms.        
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Category 239pt.: only HTS number 6209.20.5040 (diapers).            
\2\ Category 359pt.: all HTS numbers except 6406.99.1550.               
\3\ Category 369-D: only HTS numbers 6302.60.0010, 6302.91.0005 and     
  6302.91.0045.                                                         

[[Page 67622]]

                                                                        
\4\ Category 369pt.: all HTS numbers except 6302.60.0010, 6302.91.0005, 
  6302.91.0045 (Category 369-D); 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.                                                     
\5\ Category 459pt.: all HTS numbers except 6405.20.6030, 6405.20.6060, 
  6405.20.6090, 6406.99.1505 and 6406.99.1560.                          
\6\ Category 469pt.: all HTS numbers except 5601.29.0020, 5603.94.1010  
  and 6406.10.9020.                                                     
\7\ Category 659pt.: all HTS numbers except 6406.99.1510 and            
  6406.99.1540.                                                         
\8\ Category 669-P: only HTS numbers 6305.32.0010, 6305.32.0020,        
  6305.33.0010, 6305.33.0020 and 6305.39.0000.                          
\9\ Category 669pt.: all HTS numbers except 6305.32.0010, 6305.32.0020, 
  6305.33.0010, 6305.33.0020, 6305.39.0000 (Category 669-P);            
  5601.10.2000, 5601.22.0090, 5607.49.3000, 5607.50.4000 and            
  6406.10.9040.                                                         
\10\ Category 604-A: only HTS number 5509.32.0000.                      

    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 November 18, 1996) 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 Brazil 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.
    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. 97-33704 Filed 12-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F