COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Pakistan

November 25, 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 Pakistan 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 Pakistan 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. The limits for Categories 334/634, 338, 339, 340/640, 363, 369-F/369-P and 369-S are being reduced for carryforward applied to the 1997 limits.



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). Also see 62 FR 51832, published on October 3, 1997. 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
November 25, 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 and man-made fiber textile products in the following categories, produced or manufactured in Pakistan and exported during the twelve-month period beginning on January 1, 1998 and extending through December 31, 1998, in excess of the following limits:





CategoryTwelve-month restraint limit
Specific limits
2198,193,116 square meters.
226/313119,080,615 square meters.
237398,483 dozen.
239pt.11,720,941 kilograms.
3145,958,629 square meters.
31578,725,628 square meters.
317/61732,020,672 square meters.
331/6312,440,414 dozen pairs.
334/634222,545 dozen.
335/635363,476 dozen.
336/636478,180 dozen.
3384,625,578 dozen.
3391,280,737 dozen.
340/640626,093 dozen of which not more than 239,089 dozen shall be in Categories 340-D/640-D2.
341/641717,270 dozen.
342/642355,011 dozen.
347/348792,616 dozen.
351/651318,786 dozen.
352/652796,966 dozen.
359-C/659-C31,434,540 kilograms.
3605,121,050 numbers.
3615,954,709 numbers.
36343,024,648 numbers.
369-F/369-P42,260,665 kilograms.
369-R511,157,534 kilograms.
369-S6690,197 kilograms.
613/61423,579,054 square meters
61525,084,096 square meters.
625/626/627/628/62977,147,475 square meters of which not more than 38,573,739 square meters shall be in Category 625; not more than 38,573,739 square meters shall be in Category 626; not more than 38,573,739 square meters shall be in Category 627; not more than 7,980,774 square meters shall be in Category 628; and not more than 38,573,739 square meters shall be in Category 629.
638/639448,360 dozen.
647/648850,073 dozen.
666-P7764,048 kilograms.
666-S84,044,960 kilograms.
1 Category 239pt.: only HTS number 6209.20.5040 (diapers).

2 Category 340-D: only HTS numbers 6205.20.2015, 6205.20.2020, 6205.20.2025 and 6205.20.2030; Category 640-D: only HTS numbers 6205.30.2010, 6205.30.2020, 6205.30.2030, 6205.30.2040, 6205.90.3030 and 6205.90.4030.





3 Category 359-C: only HTS numbers 6103.42.2025, 6103.49.8034, 6104.62.1020, 6104.69.8010, 6114.20.0048, 6114.20.0052, 6203.42.2010, 6203.42.2090, 6204.62.2010, 6211.32.0010, 6211.32.0025 and 6211.42.0010; Category 659-C: only HTS numbers 6103.23.0055, 6103.43.2020, 6103.43.2025, 6103.49.2000, 6103.49.8038, 6104.63.1020, 6104.63.1030, 6104.69.1000, 6104.69.8014, 6114.30.3044, 6114.30.3054, 6203.43.2010, 6203.43.2090, 6203.49.1010, 6203.49.1090, 6204.63.1510, 6204.69.1010, 6210.10.9010, 6211.33.0010, 6211.33.0017 and 6211.43.0010.

4 Category 369-F: only HTS number 6302.91.0045; Category 369-P: only HTS numbers 6302.60.0010 and 6302.91.0005.

5 Category 369-R: only HTS number 6307.10.2020.

6 Category 369-S: only HTS number 6307.10.2005.
7 Category 666-P: only HTS numbers 6302.22.1010, 6302.22.1020, 6302.22.2010, 6302.32.1010, 6302.32.1020, 6302.32.2010 and 6302.32.2020.
8 Category 666-S: only HTS numbers 6302.22.1030, 6302.22.1040, 6302.22.2020, 6302.32.1030, 6302.32.1040, 6302.32.2030 and 6302.32.2040.



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 20, 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 Pakistan 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.



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,

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