[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 250 (Friday, December 27, 1996)] [Notices] [Page 68241] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 96-32984] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Bahrain December 20, 1996. AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA). ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing limits. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1997. 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: Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended; section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854); Uruguay Round Agreements Act. The import restraint limits for textile products, produced or manufactured in Bahrain and exported during the period January 1, 1997 through December 31, 1997 are based on limits notified to the Textiles Monitoring Body pursuant to the Uruguay Round Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC). In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the Commissioner of Customs to establish the limits for the 1997 period. 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). The letter to the Commissioner of Customs and the actions taken pursuant to it are not designed to implement all of the provisions of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act and the ATC, but are designed to assist only in the implementation of certain of their provisions. D. Michael Hutchinson, Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements December 20, 1996. 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), the Uruguay Round Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC); and in accordance with the provisions of Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended, you are directed to prohibit, effective on January 1, 1997, 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 textile products in the following categories, produced or manufactured in Bahrain and exported during the twelve-month period beginning on January 1, 1997 and extending through December 31, 1997, in excess of the following levels of restraint: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Category Twelve-month restraint limit ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Group I 237, 239, 330-336, 338, 339, 340-342, 345, 39,505,041 square meters 347, 348-354, 359, 431-436, 438-440, 442- equivalent. 448, 459, 630-636, 638, 639, 640-647, 648, 649, 650-654, 659, 831-836, 838, 839, 840, 842-847, 850-852, 858 and 859, as a group. Sublevels in Group I 338/339................................... 548,930 dozen. 340/640................................... 263,367 dozen of which not more than 197,525 dozen shall be in Categories 340- Y/640-Y \1\. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\ Category 340-Y: only HTS numbers 6205.20.2015, 6205.20.2020, 6205.20.2046, 6205.20.2050 and 6205.20.2060; Category 640-Y: only HTS numbers 6205.30.2010, 6205.30.2020, 6205.30.2050 and 6205.30.2060. Imports charged to these category limits for the period January 1, 1996 through December 31, 1996 shall be charged against those levels of restraint to the extent of any unfilled balances. In the event the limits established for that period have been exhausted by previous entries, such goods shall be subject to the levels set forth in this directive. The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment in the future pursuant to the provisions of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing and any administrative arrangements notified to the Textiles Monitoring Body. 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, D. Michael Hutchinson, Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. [FR Doc. 96-32984 Filed 12-26-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F