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 Thailand

December 5, 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 Thailand 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) and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated October 28, 1997 between the Governments of the United States and Thailand.
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 Thailand 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 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
December 5, 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; the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC); and a Memorandum of Understanding dated October 28, 1997, 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 Thailand 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
239pt.11,820,473 kilograms.
Levels in Group I
2001,188,153 kilograms.
21819,052,219 square meters.
2196,336,820 square meters.
3004,752,615 kilograms.
301-P24,752,615 kilograms.
301-O3950,524 kilograms.
31322,178,868 square meters.
31450,694,554 square meters.
31531,684,096 square meters.
317/32613,301,290 square meters.
36320,594,662 numbers.
369-D4226,542 kilograms.
369-S5316,841 kilograms.
6032,233,000 kilograms.
604741,300 kilograms of which not more than 475,261 kilograms shall be in Category 604-A6.
6073,168,408 kilograms.
61112,984,460 square meters.
613/614/61547,884,640 square meters of which not more than 27,882,005 square meters shall be in Categories 613/615 and not more than 27,882,005 square meters shall be in Category 614.
61717,291,675 square meters.
6197,128,921 square meters.
6207,128,921 square meters.
625/626/627/628/62913,966,353 square meters of which not more than 11,089,433 square meters shall be in Category 625.
669-P76,682,434 kilograms.
Group II
237, 331-348, 350-352, 359-H8, 359pt.9, 431, 433-438, 440, 442-448, 459pt.10, 631, 633-652, 659-H11, 659pt.12, 831, 833-838, 840-858 and 859pt.13, as a group290,686,162 square meters equivalent.
Sublevels in Group II
331/6311,729,340 dozen pairs.
334/634617,840 dozen.
335/635/835491,103 dozen.
336/636316,841 dozen.
338/3391,909,005 dozen.
340285,157 dozen.
341/641673,287 dozen.
342/642586,156 dozen.
345300,999 dozen.
347/348/847827,746 dozen.
351/651237,630 dozen.
359-H/659-H1,390,006 kilograms.
4339,642 dozen.
43411,902 dozen.
43554,085 dozen.
43817,853 dozen.
44220,732 dozen.
638/6392,249,899 dozen.
640522,787 dozen.
645/646316,841 dozen.
647/6481,127,954 dozen.
1Category 239pt.: only HTS number 6209.20.5040 (diapers).
2Category 301-P: only HTS numbers 5206.21.0000, 5206.22.0000, 5206.23.0000, 5206.24.0000, 5206.25.0000, 5206.41.0000, 5206.42.0000, 5206.43.0000, 5206.44.0000 and 5206.45.0000.
3Category 301-O: only HTS numbers 5205.21.0020, 5205.21.0090, 5205.22.0020, 5205.22.0090, 5205.23.0020, 5205.23.0090, 5205.24.0020, 5205.24.0090, 5205.26.0020, 5205.26.0090, 5205.27.0020, 5205.27.0090, 5205.28.0020, 5205.28.0090, 5205.41.0020, 5205.41.0090, 5205.42.0020, 5205.42.0090, 5205.43.0020, 5205.43.0090, 5205.44.0020, 5205.44.0090, 5205.46.0020, 5205.46.0090, 5205.47.0020, 5205.47.0090, 5205.48.0020 and 5205.48.0090.
4Category 369-D: only HTS numbers 6302.60.0010, 6302.91.0005 and 6302.91.0045.
5Category 369-S: only HTS number 6307.10.2005.
6Category 604-A: only HTS number 5509.32.0000.
7Category 669-P: only HTS numbers 6305.32.0010, 6305.32.0020, 6305.33.0010, 6305.33.0020 and 6305.39.0000.
8Category 359-H: only HTS numbers 6505.90.1540 and 6505.90.2060.
9Category 359pt.: all HTS numbers except 6505.90.1540, 6505.90.2060 (Category 359-H); and 6406.99.1550.
10Category 459pt.: all HTS numbers except 6405.20.6030, 6405.20.6060, 6405.20.6090, 6406.99.1505 and 6406.99.1560.
11Category 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.
12Category 659pt.: all HTS numbers except 6502.00.9030, 6504.00.9015, 6504.00.9060, 6505.90.5090, 6505.90.6090, 6505.90.7090, 6505.90.8090 (Category 659-H); 6406.99.1510 and 6406.99.1540.
13Category 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.


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 directives dated November 4, 1996 and November 3, 1997) 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 Thailand 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 merged Categories 359-H/659-H and 638/639 are 11.5 and 12.96, respectively.


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