COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcement of Import Limits for Certain Wool Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

December 1, 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: 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 Bilateral Textile Agreement of November 7, 1997 between the Governments of the United States and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia establishes limits for certain wool textile products, produced or manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and exported during the period January 1, 1998 through December 31, 1998.

In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1998 limits. The limits for Categories 434, 435 and 443 have been reduced for carryforward applied in 1997.

These limits may be revised if the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia becomes a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO agreement to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

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.



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

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
December 1, 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 Bilateral Textile Agreement of November 7, 1997 between the Governments of the United States and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, you are directed to prohibit, effective on January 1, 1998, entry into the United States for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of wool textile products in the following categories, produced or manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and exported during the period beginning on January 1, 1998 extending through December 31, 1998, in excess of the following levels of restraint:



CategoryTwelve-month limit
43320,400 dozen.
4349,575 dozen.
43525,638 dozen.
443157,987 numbers.
44861,200 dozen.


The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to the current bilateral agreement between the Governments of the United States and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Products in the above categories exported during 1997 shall be charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see directive dated September 11, 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.
These limits may be revised if the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia becomes a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO agreement to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.



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 to the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C.553(a)(1).
Sincerely,

Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[Doc.97-0000 Filed 0-00-97; 8:45 am]
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