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[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 248 (Monday, December 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67628-67629]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33698]

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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 
Singapore

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 Singapore 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 Singapore 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 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

[[Page 67629]]

of cotton, wool and man-made fiber textile products in the following 
categories, produced or manufactured in Singapore 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
222.......................................  503,778 kilograms.          
237.......................................  280,220 dozen.              
239pt. \1\................................  181,097 kilograms.          
331.......................................  497,698 dozen pairs.        
334.......................................  74,917 dozen.               
335.......................................  225,354 dozen.              
338/339...................................  1,386,289 dozen of which not
                                             more than 810,160 dozen    
                                             shall be in Category 338   
                                             and not more than 900,797  
                                             dozen shall be in Category 
                                             339.                       
340.......................................  970,197 dozen.              
341.......................................  243,957 dozen.              
342.......................................  150,126 dozen.              
347/348...................................  1,054,610 dozen of which not
                                             more than 659,131 dozen    
                                             shall be in Category 347   
                                             and not more than 512,658  
                                             dozen shall be in Category 
                                             348.                       
435.......................................  6,912 dozen.                
604.......................................  943,438 kilograms.          
631.......................................  562,977 dozen pairs.        
634.......................................  286,023 dozen.              
635.......................................  292,699 dozen               
638.......................................  1,050,516 dozen.            
639.......................................  3,554,289 dozen.            
640.......................................  206,837 dozen.              
641.......................................  337,373 dozen.              
642.......................................  331,267 dozen.              
645/646...................................  161,122 dozen.              
647.......................................  628,872 dozen.              
648.......................................  1,551,976 dozen.            
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Category 239pt.: only HTS number 6209.20.5040 (diapers).            

    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 October 28, 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 Singapore 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. 97-33698 Filed 12-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F
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