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 Textiles and Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in the Republic of Korea


December 22, 1997.

AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).


ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing limits.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1998.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ross Arnold, 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 Korea 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 Korea 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. In accordance with the special swing provision contained in the exchange of notes dated April 2 and 8, 1997 between the Governments of the United States and Korea, 59,407,515 square meters equivalent is being charged to the 1998 Group II limit.


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 62 FR 66057, published on December 17, 1997). Also see 62 FR 51832, published on October 3, 1997.


J. Hayden Boyd,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.



Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
December 22, 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 textiles and textile products in the following categories, produced or manufactured in the Republic of Korea 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
Group I
200-223, 224-V1, 224-O2, 225, 226, 227, 300-326, 360-363, 369pt.3, 400-414, 464, 469pt.4, 600-629, 666, 669-P5, 669pt.6 and 670-O7, as a group386,870,998 square meters equivalent.
Sublevels within Group I
200461,113 kilograms.
2012,183,034 kilograms.
2189,346,896 square meters.
2198,510,994 square meters.
224-V10,729,411 square meters.
300/3013,135,399 kilograms.
31351,096,363 square meters.
31428,489,091 square meters.
31518,272,754 square meters.
317/32618,988,737 square meters.
3631,094,272 numbers.
4103,551,791 square meters.
604388,754 kilograms.
6071,121,629 kilograms.
6113,738,759 square meters.
613/6146,231,263 square meters.
6175,167,390 square meters.
619/62094,532,277 square meters.
6249,118,923 square meters.
625/626/627/628/62915,952,036 square meters.
669-P2,294,475 kilograms.
Group II
237, 239pt.8, 331-348, 350-352, 359-H9, 359pt.10, 431, 433-438, 440-448, 459-W11, 459pt.12, 631, 633-652, 659-H13, 659-S14 and 659pt.15, as a group584,556,337 square meters equivalent.
Sublevels within Group II
23762,007 dozen.
239pt.250,725 kilograms.
333/334/335280,407 dozen of which not more than 143,320 dozen shall be in Category 335.
33659,258 dozen.
338/3391,246,253 dozen.
340648,052 dozen of which not more than 336,489 dozen shall be in Category 340-D16.
341182,729 dozen.
342/642225,379 dozen.
345121,071 dozen.
347/348461,113 dozen.
35017,235 dozen.
351/651236,766 dozen.
352184,245 dozen.
359-H2,654,234 kilograms.
43313,935 dozen.
4347,147 dozen.
43535,230 dozen.
43614,914 dozen.
43859,793 dozen.
440198,651 dozen.
44250,399 dozen.
443322,056 numbers.
44454,920 numbers.
445/44652,277 dozen.
44789,190 dozen.
44835,456 dozen.
459-W95,910 kilograms.
631311,096 dozen pairs.
633/634/6351,358,622 dozen of which not more than 154,065 dozen shall be in Category 633 and not more than 574,152 dozen shall be in Category 635.
636271,507 dozen.
638/6395,289,591 dozen.
640-D173,136,590 dozen.
640-O182,613,824 dozen.
6411,053,642 dozen of which not more than 39,799 dozen shall be in Category 641-Y19.
643780,589 numbers.
6441,174,362 numbers.
645/6463,592,927 dozen.
647/6481,328,005 dozen.
65025,221 dozen.
659-H1,340,420 kilograms.
659-S185,476 kilograms.
Group III
831, 833-838, 840-844, 847-858 and 859pt.20, as a group17,418,627 square meters equivalent.
Sublevel within Group III
83528,798 dozen.
Group IV
8452,315,056 dozen.
846818,787 dozen.
Group VI
369-L/670-L/870\21\73,117,988 square meters equivalent.
1Category 224-V: only HTS numbers 5801.21.0000, 5801.23.0000, 5801.24.0000, 5801.25.0010, 5801.25.0020, 5801.26.0010, 5801.26.0020, 5801.31.0000, 5801.33.0000, 5801.34.0000, 5801.35.0010, 5801.35.0020, 5801.36.0010 and 5801.36,0020.
2Category 224-O: all remaining HTS numbers in Category 224.
3Category 369pt.: all HTS numbers except 4202.12.4000,4202.12.8020, 4202.12.8060, 4202.92.1500, 4202.92.3015, 4202.92.6090 (Category 369-L); 5601.10.1000, 5601.21.0090, 5701.90.1020, 5701.90.2020, 5702.10.9020, 5702.39.2010, 5702.49.1020, 5702.49.1080, 5702.59.1000, 5702.99.1010, 5702.99.1090, 5705.00.2020 and 6406.10.7700.
4Category 469pt.: all HTS numbers except 5601.29.0020, 5603.94.1010 and 6406.10.9020.
5Category 669-P: only HTS numbers 6305.32.0010, 6305.32.0020, 6305.33.0010, 6305.33.0020 and 6305.39.0000.
6Category 669pt.: all HTS numbers except 6305.32.0010, 6305.32.0020, 6305.33.0010, 6305.33.0020 and 6305.39.0000 (Category 669-P); 5601.10.2000, 5601.22.0090, 5607.49.3000, 5607.50.4000 and 6406.10.9040.
7Category 670-O: all HTS numbers except 4202.12.8030, 4202.12.8070, 4202.92.3020, 4202.92.3030 and 4202.92.9025 (Category 670-L).
8Category 239pt.: only HTS number 6209.20.5040 (diapers).
9Category 359-H: only HTS numbers 6505.90.1540 and 6505.90.2060.
10Category 359pt.: all HTS numbers except 6505.90.1540, 6505.20.2060 (Category 359-H); and 6406.99.1550.
11Category 459-W: only HTS number 6505.90.4090.
12Category 459pt.: all HTS numbers except 6505.90.4090 (Category 459-W); 6405.20.6030, 6405.20.6060, 6405.20.6090, 6405.99.1505 and 6406.99.1560.
13Category 659-H: only HTS numbers 6502.00.9030, 6504.00.9015, 6504.00.9060, 6505.90.5090, 6505.90.6090, 6505.90.7090 and 6505.90.8090.
14Category 659-S: only HTS numbers 6112.31.0010, 6112.31.0020, 6112.41.0010, 6112.41.0020, 6112.41.0030, 6112.41.0040, 6211.11.1010, 6211.11.1020, 6211.12.1010 and 6211.12.1020.
15Category 659pt.: all HTS numbers except 6502.00.9030, 6504.00.9015, 6504.00.9060, 6505.90.5090, 6505.90.6090, 6505.90.7090 and 6505.90.8090 (Category 659-H); 6112.31.0010, 6112.31.0020, 6112.41.0010, 6112.41.0020, 6112.41.0030, 6112.41.0040, 6211.11.1010, 6211.11.1020, 6211.12.1010 and 6211.12.1020 (Category 659-S); 6406.99.1510 and 6406.99.1540.
16Category 340-D: only HTS numbers 6205.20.2015,6205.20.2020, 6205.20.2025 and 6205.20.2030.
17Category 640-D: only HTS numbers 6205.30.2010, 6205.30.2020, 6205.30.2030, 6205.30.2040, 6205.90.3030 and 6205.90.4030.
18Category 640-O: all HTS numbers except 6205.30.2010, 6205.30.2020, 6205.30.2030, 6205.30.2040, 6205.90.3030 and 6205.90.4030 (Category 640-D).
19Category 641-Y: only HTS numbers 6204.23.0050, 6204.29.2030, 6206.40.3010 and 6206.40.3025.
20Category 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.
21Category 870; Category 369-L: only HTS numbers 4202.12.4000, 4202.12.8020, 4202.12.8060, 4202.92.1500, 4202.92.3015 and 4202.92.6090; Category 670-L: only HTS numbers 4202.12.8030, 4202.12.8070, 4202.92.3020, 4202.92.3030 and 4202.92.9025.



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 November 14, 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 Korea 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.


The conversion factors for the following merged categories are listed below:


CategoryConversion factor (Square meters equivalent/category unit)
333/334/33533.75
369-L/670-L/8703.8
633/634/63534.1
638/63912.96

In accordance with exchange of notes dated April 2 and April 8, 1997 between the Governments of the United States and Korea, for products exported in 1997, you are directed to charge 59,407,515 square meters equivalent to the Group II limit established in this directive.



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,

J. Hayden Boyd,
Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. 97-0000 Filed 0-00-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F