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[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 250 (Wednesday, December 31, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68261-68262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-34064]

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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcement of an Import Restraint Limit and Guaranteed Access 
Level for Certain Cotton and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced 
or Manufactured in Honduras

December 23, 1997.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing 
an import limit and guaranteed access level.

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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 limit and guaranteed access level for textile 
products in Categories 352/652, produced or manufactured in Honduras 
and exported during the period January 1, 1998 through March 26, 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 September 15, 1995 between the 
Governments of the United States and Honduras.
    In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the 
Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1998 limit and guaranteed 
access level.
    A description of the textile and apparel categories in terms of HTS 
numbers is available in the CORRELATION: Textile and Apparel

[[Page 68262]]

Categories with the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(see Federal Register notice 62 FR 66057, published on December 17, 
1997).
    Requirements for participation in the Special Access Program are 
available in Federal Register notices 51 FR 21208, published on June 
11, 1986; 52 FR 26057, published on July 10, 1987; 54 FR 50425, 
published on December 6, 1989; 61 FR 38236, published on July 23, 1996, 
and 62 FR 49206, published on September 19, 1997.
J. Hayden Boyd,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
December 23, 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 Categories 352/652, produced or 
manufactured in Honduras and exported during the period beginning on 
January 1, 1998 and extending through March 26, 1998 in excess of 
2,634,919 dozen of which not more than 1,941,519 dozen shall be in 
Categories 352-K/652-K \1\.
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    \1\ Category 352-K: only HTS numbers 6107.11.0010, 6107.11.0020, 
6108.19.9010, 6108.21.0010, 6108.21.0020, 6108.91.0005, 
6108.91.0015, 6108.91.0025, 6109.10.0005, 6109.10.0007, 
6109.10.0009, 6109.10.0037; Category 652-K: 6107.12.0010, 
6107.12.0020, 6108.11.0010, 6108.11.0020, 6108.22.9020, 
6108.22.9030, 6108.92.0005, 6108.92.0015, 6108.92.0025, 6109.90.1047 
and 6109.90.1075.
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    The limit set forth above is 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 limit for that year (see 
directive dated November 19, 1996) to the extent of any unfilled 
balance. In the event the limit established for that period has been 
exhausted by previous entries, such products shall be charged to the 
limit set forth in this directive.
    Also pursuant to the ATC and a Memorandum of Understanding dated 
September 15, 1995 between the Governments of the United States and 
Honduras; and under 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), 61 FR 49439 (September 20, 1996), effective on 
January 1, 1998, a guaranteed access level of 11,643,836 dozen is 
being established for properly certified textile products assembled 
in Honduras from fabric formed and cut in the United States in 
textile products in Categories 352/652 which are re-exported to the 
United States from Honduras during the period January 1, 1998 
through March 26, 1998.
    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 July 18, 1996 shall be 
denied entry unless the Government of the Republic of Honduras 
authorizes the entry and any charges to the appropriate specific 
limit. 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 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).
    Sincerely,
J. Hayden Boyd,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
[FR Doc. 97-34064 Filed 12-30-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F
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