[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 234 (Friday, December 5, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 64361]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: X97-11205]



[[Page 64361]]

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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.

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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:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Category                        Twelve-month limit     
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433.......................................  20,400 dozen.               
434.......................................  9,575 dozen.                
435.......................................  25,638 dozen.               
443.......................................  157,987 numbers.            
448.......................................  61,200 dozen.               
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    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.97-31885 Filed 12-4-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F