COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

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

December 19, 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: Janet Heinzen, 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 Singapore 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 Singapore 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.
A description of the textile and apparel categories interms 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
December 19, 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 Singapore 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
222503,778 kilograms.
237280,220 dozen.
239pt.1181,097 kilograms.
331497,698 dozen pairs.
33474,917 dozen.
335225,354 dozen.
338/3391,386,289 dozen of which not more than 810,160 dozen shall be in Category 338 and not more than 900,797 dozen shall be in Category 339.
340970,197 dozen.
341243,957 dozen.
342150,126 dozen.
347/3481,054,610 dozen of which not more than 659,131 dozen shall be in Category 347 and not more than 512,658 dozen shall be in Category 348.
4356,912 dozen.
604943,438 kilograms.
631562,977 dozen pairs.
634286,023 dozen.
635292,699 dozen
6381,050,516 dozen.
6393,554,289 dozen.
640206,837 dozen.
641337,373 dozen.
642331,267 dozen.
645/646161,122 dozen.
647628,872 dozen.
6481,551,976 dozen.
1Category 239pt.: only HTS number 6209.20.5040 (diapers).



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 October 28, 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 Singapore 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