[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 248 (Monday, December 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 67627]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33699]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATIONS OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


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

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: Janet Heinzen, 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.

    In a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated October 17, 1997, the 
Governments of the United States and the Sultanate of Oman agreed to 
amend and extend the current bilateral agreement for three consecutive 
one-year periods, beginning on January 1, 1998 and extending through 
December 31, 2000.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish limits for the period January 1, 
1998 through December 31, 1998.
    These limits may be revised if Oman becomes a member of the World 
Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Oman.
    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). 
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 a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 
dated October 17, 1997 between the Governments of the United States 
and the Sultanate of Oman; 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, man-made fiber, 
silk blend and other vegetable fiber textile products in the 
following categories, produced or manufactured in Oman 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
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334/634...................................  150,000 dozen.              
335/635...................................  252,495 dozen.              
338/339...................................  523,928 dozen.              
340/640...................................  252,495 dozen.              
341/641...................................  189,371 dozen.              
347/348...................................  902,671 dozen.              
647/648/847...............................  387,080 dozen.              
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    The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to 
the current bilateral agreement between the Governments of the 
United States and the Sultanate of Oman.
    Products in the above categories exported during 1997 shall be 
charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see 
directive dated November 7, 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.
    These limits may be revised if Oman becomes a member of the 
World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO 
agreement to Oman.
    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. 97-33699 Filed 12-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F