[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 248 (Monday, December 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67620-67621]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33706]


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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 Textile Products 
Produced or Manufactured in Bahrain

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.

    The import restraint limits for textile products, produced or 
manufactured in Bahrain 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 Bahrain 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 limits for the 1998 period.
    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 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, man-made 
fiber, silk blend and other vegetable fiber textile products in the 
following categories, produced or manufactured in Bahrain 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Group I                                                                 
237, 239pt. \1\, 331-336, 338, 339, 340-    43,267,869 square meters    
 342, 345, 347, 348, 350-352, 359pt. \2\,    equivalent.                
 431, 433-436, 438, 440, 442-448, 459pt.                                
 \3\, 631, 633-636, 638, 639, 640-647,                                  
 648, 649, 650-652, 659pt. \4\, 831, 833-                               
 836, 838, 840, 842-847, 850-852, 858 and                               
 859pt. \5\, as a group.                                                
Sublevels in Group I                                                    
338/339...................................  601,216 dozen.              
340/640...................................  288,453 dozen of which not  
                                             more than 216,339 dozen    
                                             shall be in Categories 340-
                                             Y/640-Y \6\.               
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\1\ Category 239pt.: only HTS number 6209.20.5040 (diapers).            
\2\ Category 359pt.: all HTS numbers except 6406.99.1550.               
\3\ Category 459pt.: all HTS numbers except 6405.20.6030, 6405.20.6060, 
  6405.20.6090, 6406.99.1505 and 6406.99.1560.                          
\4\ Category 659pt.: all HTS numbers except 6406.99.1510 and            
  6406.99.1540.                                                         
\5\ 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.                                        

[[Page 67621]]

                                                                        
\6\ Category 340-Y: only HTS numbers 6205.20.2015, 6205.20.2020,        
  6205.20.2046, 6205.20.2050 and 6205.20.2060; Category 640-Y: only HTS 
  numbers 6205.30.2010, 6205.30.2020, 6205.30.2050 and 6205.30.2060.    

    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 20, 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 Bahrain 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 to 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. 97-33706 Filed 12-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F