COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcement of Import Limits and Guaranteed Access Levels for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Costa Rica

November 24, 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.


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 Costa Rica 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).
In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the Commissioner of Customs to establish limits and guaranteed access levels for 1998.


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 26057, published on July 10, 1987; 54 FR 50425, published on December 6, 1989; 55 FR 21047, published on May 22, 1990, 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
November 24, 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 Costa Rica and exported during the twelve-month period beginning on January 1, 1998 and extending through December 31, 1998, in excess of the following restraint limits:






CategoryTwelve-month limit
340/6401,046,972 dozen.
342/642386,496 dozen.
347/3481,764,380 dozen.
443215,128 numbers.
44711,599 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 24, 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 (September 19, 1997), you are directed to establish guaranteed access levels for properly certified cotton, wool and man-made fiber textile products in the following categories which are assembled in Costa Rica from fabric formed and cut in the United States and re-exported to the United States from Costa Rica during the period beginning on January 1, 1998 and extending through December 31, 1998:




CategoryGuaranteed access level
340/640650,000 dozen.
342/642250,000 dozen.
347/3481,500,000 dozen.
443200,000 numbers.
4474,000 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 May 15, 1990 shall be denied entry unless the Government of Costa Rica 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 U.S.C.553(a)(1).

Sincerely,

Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc.97-0000 Filed 0-00-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F