Establishment and Adjustment of Import Limits, Elimination of a Sublimit and Announcement of Guaranteed Access Levels for Certain Wool Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in the Dominican Republic

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Establishment and Adjustment of Import Limits, Elimination of a

Sublimit and Announcement of Guaranteed Access Levels for Certain Wool

Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in the Dominican Republic

December 6, 1994.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing

and adjusting limits, eliminating a sublimit and announcing guaranteed

access levels.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: December 13, 1994.

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).

In a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated November 16, 1994, the

Governments of the United States and the Dominican Republic agreed to

extend their bilateral agreement through December 31, 1995. Also, the

two governments agreed to eliminate the current sublevel for Categories

347/348 and establish limits for Categories 442 and 444 for the periods

December 1, 1994 through December 31, 1994 and January 1, 1995 through

December 31, 1995. Guaranteed access levels were provided for

Categories 442 and 444 for the period January 1, 1995 through December

31, 1995.

Beginning on December 13, 1994, the U.S. Customs will start signing

the first section of the form ITA-370P for shipments of U.S. formed and

cut parts in Categories 442 and 444 that are destined for the Dominican

Republic and subject to the GALs established for Categories 442 and 444

for the period beginning on January 1, 1995 and extending through

December 31, 1995. These products are governed by Harmonized Tariff

item number 9802.00.8015 and Chapter 61 Statistical Note 5 and Chapter

62 Statistical Note 3 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Interested

parties should be aware that shipments of cut parts in Categories 442

and 444 must be accompanied by a form ITA-370P, signed by a U.S.

Customs officer, prior to export from the United States for assembly in

the Dominican Republic in order to qualify for entry under the Special

Access Program.

In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the

Commissioner of Customs to establish limits for Categories 442 and 444

for the period beginning on December 1, 1994 and extending through

December 31, 1994. The current limit for Category 448 is being adjusted

for carryforward, special carryforward and special shift. The limit

established in this directive for Category 442 has been reduced to

account for the special shift applied to Category 448. U.S. Customs is

being directed to begin signing the first section of form ITA-370P.

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). Also see

58 FR 67397, published on December 21, 1993.

Requirements for participation in the Special Access Program are

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

11, 1986; 52 FR 6594, published on March 4, 1987; 52 FR 26057,

published on July 10, 1987; and 54 FR 50425, published on December 6,

1989.

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.

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

December 6, 1994.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

Dear Commissioner: This directive amends, but does not cancel,

the directive issued to you on December 15, 1993, by the Chairman,

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That

directive concerns imports of certain cotton, wool and man-made

fiber textile products, produced or manufactured in the Dominican

Republic and exported during the twelve-month period which began on

January 1, 1994 and extends through December 31, 1994.

Effective on December 13, 1994, you are directed, pursuant to a

Memorandum of Understanding dated November 16, 1994 between the

Governments of the United States and the Dominican Republic, to

eliminate the current sublevel for Categories 347/348. Also, you are

directed to increase the current limit for Category 448 to 44,715

dozen\1\. Limits shall be established for Categories 442 and 444 for

the period beginning on December 1, 1994 and extending through

December 31, 1994, as follows:

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\1\The limit has not been adjusted to account for any imports

exported after December 31, 1993.

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Category New limit

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442................................ 18,197 dozen.

444................................ 15,000 numbers.

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Textile products in Categories 442 and 444 which have been

exported to the United States prior to December 1, 1994 shall not be

subject to this directive.

Textile products in Categories 442 and 444 which have been

released from the custody of the U.S. Customs Service under the

provisions of 19 U.S.C. 1448(b) or 1484(a)(1) prior to the effective

date of this directive shall not be denied entry under this

directive.

Beginning on December 13, 1994, the U.S. Customs Service is

directed to start signing the first section of the form ITA-370P for

shipments of U.S. formed and cut parts in Categories 442 and 444

that are destined for the Dominican Republic and re-exported to the

United States on and after January 1, 1995.

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. 94-30391 Filed 12-8-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F