Establishment of Import Limits and Guaranteed Access Levels for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Costa Rica

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Establishment of Import Limits and Guaranteed Access Levels for

Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or

Manufactured in Costa Rica

November 29, 1994.

AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing

limits and guaranteed access levels for a new agreement year.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Naomi Freeman, 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).

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated December 23, 1993 between

the Governments of the United States and Costa Rica establishes

restraint limits and guaranteed access levels for the period January 1,

1995 through December 31, 1995.

These limits are subject to revision pursuant to the Uruguay Round

Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (URATC). On the date that both the

United States and Costa Rica are members of the World Trade

Organization, the restraint limits will be modified in accordance with

the URATC.

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 58 FR 62645, published on November 29, 1993).

Information regarding the 1995 CORRELATION will be published in the

Federal Register at a later date.

Requirements for participation in the Special Access Program are

available in Federal Register notices 51 FR 21208, published on June

11, 1986; 52 FR 26057, published on July 10, 1987; 54 FR 50425,

published on December 6, 1989; and 55 FR 21047, published on May 22,

1990.

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 MOU, but are designed to assist only in the implementation of

certain of its provisions.

Rita D. Hayes,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

November 29, 1994.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

Dear Commissioner: Under the terms of section 204 of the

Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854), and the

Arrangement Regarding International Trade in Textiles done at Geneva

on December 20, 1973, as further extended on December 9, 1993;

pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated December 23,

1993, between the Governments of the United States and Costa Rica;

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, 1995, 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 Costa Rica and exported during the twelve-month

period beginning on January 1, 1995 and extending through December

31, 1995, in excess of the following restraint limits:

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Category Twelve-month limit

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340/640............................ 815,648 dozen.

342/642............................ 301,101 dozen.

347/348............................ 1,374,545 dozen.

443................................ 206,060 numbers.

447................................ 11,110 dozen.

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Imports charged to these category limits for the periods January

1, 1994 through December 31, 1994 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 MOU dated December 23, 1993

between the Governments of the United States and Costa Rica.

Additionally, pursuant to the December 23, 1993 MOU; and under

the terms of the Special Access Program, as set forth in 51 FR 21208

(June 11, 1986), 52 FR 26057 (July 10, 1987) and 54 FR 50425

(December 6, 1989), effective on January 1, 1995, guaranteed access

levels have been established for properly certified cotton, wool and

man-made fiber textile products in the following categories which

are assembled in Costa Rica from fabric formed and cut in the United

States and re-exported to the United States from Costa Rica during

the period beginning on January 1, 1995 and extending through

December 31, 1995:

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Category Guaranteed access level

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340/640............................ 650,000 dozen.

342/642............................ 250,000 dozen.

347/348............................ 1,500,000 dozen.

443................................ 200,000 numbers.

447................................ 4,000 dozen.

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Any shipment for entry under the Special Access Program which is

not accompanied by a valid and correct certification and Export

Declaration in accordance with the provisions of the certification

requirements established in the directive of May 15, 1990, shall be

denied entry unless the Government of Costa Rica authorizes the

entry and any charges to the appropriate specific limit. Any

shipment which is declared for entry under the Special Access

Program but found not to qualify shall be denied entry 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,

Rita D. Hayes,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc. 94-29954 Filed 12-5-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F