[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 248 (Monday, December 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67622-67623]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33705]


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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS


Announcement of Import Restraint Limits and Guaranteed Access 
Levels for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products 
Produced or Manufactured in the Dominican Republic

December 19, 1997.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing 
limits and guaranteed access levels.

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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 and Guaranteed Access Levels (GALs) for 
textile products, produced or manufactured in the Dominican Republic 
and exported during the periods January 1, 1998 through March 26, 1998 
(Categories 352/652) and 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).
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1998 limits and GALs.
    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.
    Requirements for participation in the Special Access Program are 
available in Federal Register notices 51 FR 21208, published on June 
11, 1986; 52 FR 6594, published on March 4, 1987; 52 FR 26057, 
published on July 10, 1987; 54 FR 50425, published on December 6, 1989; 
and 62 FR 49206, published on September 19, 1997.
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 the Dominican Republic and exported during the 
periods beginning on January 1, 1998 and extending through March 26, 
1998 (Categories 352/652) and on January 1, 1998 and extending 
through December 31, 1998, in excess of the following limits:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Category                         Restraint limit        
------------------------------------------------------------------------
338/638................................  868,533 dozen.                 
339/639................................  1,033,553 dozen.               
340/640................................  894,107 dozen.                 
342/642................................  629,204 dozen.                 
347/348/647/648........................  2,140,318 dozen of which not   
                                          more than 1,130,732 dozen     
                                          shall be in Categories 647/   
                                          648.                          
351/651................................  1,071,882 dozen.               
352/652................................  2,485,773 dozen.               
433....................................  21,740 dozen.                  
442....................................  73,811 dozen.                  
443....................................  135,038 numbers.               
444....................................  73,811 numbers.                
448....................................  38,024 dozen.                  
633....................................  131,192 dozen.                 
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 December 6, 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.
    Also pursuant to the ATC, and under the terms of the Special 
Access Program, as set forth in 51 FR 21208 (June 11, 1986), 52 FR 
26057 (July 10, 1987), 54 FR 50425 (December 6, 1989) and 62 FR 
49206, published on September 19, 1997, effective on January 1, 
1998, guaranteed access levels are being established for properly 
certified textile products assembled in the Dominican Republic from 
fabric formed and cut in the

[[Page 67623]]

United States in cotton, wool and man-made fiber textile products in 
the following categories for the periods January 1, 1998 through 
March 26, 1998 (Categories 352/652) and January 1, 1998 through 
December 31, 1998:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Category                     Guaranteed access level    
------------------------------------------------------------------------
338/638................................  1,150,000 dozen.               
339/639................................  1,150,000 dozen.               
340/640................................  1,000,000 dozen.               
342/642................................  1,000,000 dozen.               
347/348/647/648........................  8,050,000 dozen.               
351/651................................  1,000,000 dozen.               
352/652................................  6,986,301 dozen.               
433....................................  21,000 dozen.                  
442....................................  65,000 dozen.                  
443....................................  50,000 numbers.                
444....................................  30,000 numbers.                
448....................................  40,000 dozen.                  
633....................................  60,000 dozen.                  
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Any shipment for entry under the Special Access Program which is 
not accompanied by a valid and correct certification and Export 
Declaration in accordance with the provisions of the certification 
requirements established in the directive of February 25, 1987, as 
amended, shall be denied entry unless the Government of the 
Dominican Republic authorizes the entry and any charges to the 
appropriate specific limits. Any shipment which is declared for 
entry under the Special Access Program but found not to qualify 
shall be denied entry 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 U.S.C.553(a)(1).
    Sincerely,
Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 97-33705 Filed 12-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F