COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcement of Import Restraint Limits and Guaranteed Access Levels for Certain Cotton, Wool, Man-Made Fiber and Other Vegetable Fiber Textiles and Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Jamaica

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 Jamaica 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 the period January 1, 1998 through December 31, 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 6049, published on February 27, 1987; 52 FR 26057, published on July 10, 1987; 54 FR 50425, published on December 6, 1989, 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, man-made fiber and other vegetable fiber textiles and textile products in the following categories, produced or manufactured in Jamaica 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:



.


CategoryTwelve-month restraint limit
331/631680,313 dozen pairs.
338/339/638/6391,341,400 dozen.
340/640627,273 dozen of which not more than 530,770 dozen shall be in shirts made from fabrics with two or more colors in the warp and/or the filling in Categories 340-Y/640-Y1
341/641787,663 dozen.
345/845194,359 dozen.
347/348/647/6481,447,873 dozen.
352/6522,163,395 dozen.
445/44653,134 dozen.
1 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 18, 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, man-made fiber and other vegetable fiber textile products in the following categories which are assembled in Jamaica from fabric formed and cut in the United States and re-exported to the United States from Jamaica during the twelve-month period which begins on January 1, 1998 and extends through December 31, 1998:




CategoryGuaranteed Access Level
331/6311,320,000 dozen pairs.
336/636125,000 dozen.
338/339/638/6391,500,000 dozen.
340/640300,000 dozen.
341/641375,000 dozen.
342/642200,000 dozen.
345/84550,000 dozen.
347/348/647/6482,000,000 dozen.
352/65210,500,000 dozen.
44730,000 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 February 19, 1987 shall be denied entry unless the Government of Jamaica authorizes the entry and any charges to the appropriate specific limits. 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