[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 23, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27274-27275]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-12601]



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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Request for Public Comments on Bilateral Textile Consultations on 
Woven Wool Shirts and Blouses

April 17, 1995.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Notice.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet Heinzen (India) and Anne Novak 
(Hong Kong), International Trade Specialists, Office of Textiles and 
Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-4212. For information 
on categories for which consultations have been requested, call (202) 
482-3740.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Authority: Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended; 
section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 
1854).

    Under the terms of Article 6 of the Uruguay Round Agreement on 
Textiles and Clothing (ATC) and the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, the 
Government of the United States requested consultations, on April 18, 
1995 and April 27, 1995, respectively, with the Governments of India 
and the Hong Kong with respect to woven wool shirts and blouses in 
Category 440, produced or manufactured in India and Hong Kong.
    The purpose of this notice is to advise the public that, if no 
solution is agreed upon in consultations with the Government of India 
and the Government of Hong Kong, the Committee for the Implementation 
of Textile Agreements may later establish a limit for the entry and 
withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of wool textile products in 
Category 440, produced or manufactured in India and Hong Kong and 
exported during the twelve-month period April 18, 1995 through April 
17, 1996, at a level of not less than 76,698 dozen, in the case of 
India, and exported during the twelve-month period April 27, 1995 
through April 26, 1996, at a level of not less than 
[[Page 27275]] 5,428 dozen, in the case of Hong Kong. On April 18, 
1995, CITA dropped its request for consultations with India on Category 
440 that was made on December 30, 1994 (see 60 FR 5653, published on 
January 30, 1995) and resubmitted the request under Article 6 of the 
ATC.
    A summary statement of serious damage concerning Category 440 
follows this notice.
    Anyone wishing to comment or provide data or information regarding 
the treatment of Category 440, or to comment on domestic production or 
availability of products included in Category 440, is invited to submit 
10 copies of such comments or information to Rita D. Hayes, Chairman, 
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements, U.S. Department 
of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; ATTN: Helen L. LeGrande. The 
comments received will be considered in the context of the 
consultations with the Government of India and the Government of Hong 
Kong.
    Because the exact timing of the consultations is not yet certain, 
comments should be submitted promptly. Comments or information 
submitted in response to this notice will be available for public 
inspection in the Office of Textiles and Apparel, room H3100, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 
DC.
    Further comments may be invited regarding particular comments or 
information received from the public which the Committee for the 
Implementation of Textile Agreements considers appropriate for further 
consideration.
    The solicitation of comments regarding any aspect of the agreement 
or the implementation thereof is not a waiver in any respect of the 
exemption contained in 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1) relating to matters which 
constitute ``a foreign affairs function of the United States.''
    The United States remains committed to finding a solution 
concerning Category 440. Should such a solution be reached in 
consultations with the Governments of India and Hong Kong, further 
notice will be published in the Federal Register.
    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 59 FR 65531, published on December 20, 1994).
Rita D. Hayes,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Summary Statement of Serious Damage
Woven Wool Shirts and Blouses--Category 440
April 1995
    The sharp and substantial increase in imports of woven wool shirts 
and blouses, Category 440, is causing serious damage to the U.S. 
industry producing woven wool shirts and blouses.
    Category 440 imports surged to 141,502 dozen in the year ending 
January 1995, nearly double the year ending January 1994 level.
    Serious damage to the domestic industry resulting from the sharp 
and substantial increase in imports of woven wool shirts and blouses is 
attributed to India and Hong Kong. The combination of high import 
levels, surging imports, and low priced goods from these countries have 
resulted in loss of domestic output, market share, investment, 
employment, man-hours worked, and total annual wages.
    Total imports from these two countries increased from 17,687 dozen 
in the year ending January 1994 to 82,126 dozen in the twelve months 
ending in January 1995, a sharp and substantial increase of 364 
percent. Together their year ending January 1994 imports were 24 
percent of total Category 440 imports. Their share of total category 
imports increased to 58 percent in the year ending January 1995. Their 
year ending January 1995 imports were 107 percent of total U.S. 
production of woven wool shirts and blouses in the year ending 
September 1994.
[FR Doc. 95-12601 Filed 5-22-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F