[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 237 (Thursday, December 10, 1998)] [Notices] [Pages 68247-68248] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-32797] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton, Man- Made Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Textiles and Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in India December 4, 1998. AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA). [[Page 68248]] ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing limits. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1999. 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, call (202) 927-5850, or refer to the U.S. Customs website at http://www.customs.ustreas.gov. 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 India and exported during the period January 1, 1999 through December 31, 1999 are based on limits notified to the Textiles Monitoring Body pursuant to the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC). Effective on January 1, 1999, a visa will no longer be required for products integrated in the second stage of the integration of textiles and clothing into GATT 1994 from WTO member countries (see 63 FR 53881, published on October 7, 1998). A visa will continue to be required for non-integrated products. For quota purposes only, products remaining in categories partially integrated will continue to be designated by the designator ``pt.'' In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1999 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 62 FR 66057, published on December 17, 1997. Information regarding the 1999 CORRELATION will be published in the Federal Register at a later date. D. Michael Hutchinson, Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements December 4, 1998. 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, 1999, entry into the United States for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of cotton, man-made fiber, silk blend and other vegetable fiber textiles and textile products in the following categories, produced or manufactured in India and exported during the twelve-month period beginning on January 1, 1999 and extending through December 31, 1999, in excess of the following levels of restraint: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Category Twelve-month restraint limit ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Levels in Group I 218....................................... 15,759,634 square meters. 219....................................... 72,024,490 square meters. 313....................................... 42,166,947 square meters. 314....................................... 8,574,344 square meters. 315....................................... 14,401,463 square meters. 317....................................... 42,323,197 square meters. 326....................................... 9,618,909 square meters. 334/634................................... 153,260 dozen. 335/635................................... 682,313 dozen. 336/636................................... 962,758 dozen. 338/339................................... 4,168,194 dozen. 340/640................................... 2,140,156 dozen. 341....................................... 4,473,861 dozen of which not more than 2,684,315 dozen shall be in Category 341-Y \1\. 342/642................................... 1,381,686 dozen. 345....................................... 210,686 dozen. 347/348................................... 677,845 dozen. 351/651................................... 292,062 dozen. 363....................................... 49,249,693 numbers. 369-D \2\................................. 1,429,609 kilograms. 369-S \3\................................. 779,787 kilograms. 641....................................... 1,608,636 dozen. 647/648................................... 934,120 dozen. Group II 200, 201, 220-227, 237, 239pt. \4\, 300, 123,462,255 square meters 301, 331-333, 350, 352, 359pt. \5\, 360- equivalent. 362, 600-604, 606 \6\, 607, 611-629, 631, 633, 638, 639, 643-646, 649, 650, 652, 659pt. \7\, 666, 669pt. \8\, 670, 831, 833-838, 840-858 and 859pt. \9\, as a group. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\ Category 341-Y: only HTS numbers 6204.22.3060, 6206.30.3010, 6206.30.3030 and 6211.42.0054. \2\ Category 369-D: only HTS numbers 6302.60.0010, 6302.91.0005 and 6302.91.0045. \3\ Category 369-S: only HTS number 6307.10.2005. \4\ Category 239pt.: only HTS number 6209.20.5040 (diapers). \5\ Category 359pt.: all HTS numbers except 6406.99.1550. \6\ Category 606: all HTS numbers except 5403.31.0040 (for administrative purposes Category 606 is designated as 606(1)). \7\ Category 659pt.: all HTS numbers except 6406.99.1510 and 6406.99.1540. \8\ Category 669pt.: all HTS numbers except 5601.10.2000, 5601.22.0090, 5607.49.3000, 5607.50.4000 and 6406.10.9040. \9\ Category 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 1998 shall be charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see directive dated December 22, 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. Effective on January 1, 1999, a visa will no longer be required for products integrated in the second stage of the integration of textiles and clothing into GATT 1994 from WTO member countries (see directive dated September 30, 1998). A visa will continue to be required for non-integrated products. For quota purposes only, products remaining in categories partially integrated will continue to be designated by the designator ``pt.'' 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, D. Michael Hutchinson, Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. [FR Doc. 98-32797 Filed 12-9-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F