Request for Public Comments on Bilateral Textile Consultations on Man-Made Fiber Luggage

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Request for Public Comments on Bilateral Textile Consultations on

Man-Made Fiber Luggage

May 17, 1995.

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

ACTION: Notice.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet Heinzen (Philippines), Helen L.

LeGrande (Sri Lanka) and Ross Arnold (Thailand), International Trade

Specialists, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of

Commerce, (202) 482-4212. For information on categories for which

consultations have been requested, call (202) 482-3740.

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).

Under the terms of Article 6 of the Uruguay Round Agreement on

Textiles and Clothing (ATC) and the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, the

Government of the United States requested consultations, on April 24,

1995 (Philippines) and April 27, 1995 (Sri Lanka and Thailand), with

the Governments of the Philippines, the Democratic Socialist Republic

of Sri Lanka and Thailand with respect to man-made fiber luggage in

Category 670-L, produced or manufactured in the Philippines, Sri Lanka

and Thailand.

The purpose of this notice is to advise the public that, if no

solution is agreed upon in consultations with the Government of the

Philippines and the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of

Sri Lanka and the Government of Thailand, the Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements may later establish a limit for

the entry and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of man-made

fiber textile products in Category 670-L, produced or manufactured in

the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand and exported during the twelve-

month period April 24, 1995 through April 23, 1996, at a level of not

less than 7,718,533 kilograms, in the case of the Philippines; exported

during the twelve-month period April 27, 1995 through April 26, 1996,

at a level of not less than 3,420,904 kilograms, in the case of Sri

Lanka; and exported during the twelve-month period April 27, 1995

through April 26, 1996, at a level of not less than 19,792,859

kilograms, in the case of Thailand. On April 27, 1995, CITA dropped its

request for consultations with Thailand on Category 670-L that was made

on November 28, 1994 (see 60 FR 2081, published on January 6, 1995) and

resubmitted the request under Article 6 of the ATC.

A summary statement of serious damage concerning Category 670-L

follows this notice.

Anyone wishing to comment or provide data or information regarding

the treatment of Category 670-L, or to comment on domestic production

or availability of products included in Category 670-L, is invited to

submit 10 copies of such comments or information to Rita D. Hayes,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements, U.S.

Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; ATTN: Helen L. LeGrande.

The comments received will be considered in the context of the

consultations with the Government of the Philippines, the Government of

the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Government of

Thailand.

Because the exact timing of the consultations is not yet certain,

comments should be submitted promptly. Comments or information

submitted in response to this notice will be available for public

inspection in the Office of Textiles and Apparel, room H3100, U.S.

Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington,

DC.

Further comments may be invited regarding particular comments or

information received from the public which the Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements considers appropriate for further

consideration.

The solicitation of comments regarding any aspect of the agreement

or the implementation thereof is not a waiver in any respect of the

exemption contained in 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1) relating to matters which

constitute ``a foreign affairs function of the United States.''

The United States remains committed to finding a solution

concerning Category 670-L. Should such a solution be reached in

consultations with the Governments of the Philippines, Sri Lanka and

Thailand, further notice will be published in the Federal Register.

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 [[Page 27277]] Schedule of the United States

(see Federal Register notice 59 FR 65531, published on December 20,

1994).

Rita D. Hayes,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Summary Statement of Serious Damage

Manmade Fiber Luggage--Category 670-L

April 1995

The sharp and substantial increase in imports of manmade fiber

luggage, Category 670-L, is causing serious damage to the U.S. industry

producing manmade fiber luggage.

Manmade fiber luggage imports, Category 670-L, increased from

72,550,000 kilograms in 1992 to 77,238,000 kilograms in 1993, a six

percent increase. Manmade fiber luggage imports, Category 670-L,

continued to increase in 1994 and 1995, reaching 87,413,000 kilograms

during year ending January 1995, 13 percent above the year ending

January 1994 level and 20 percent above the 1992 level.

Serious damage to the domestic industry resulting from the sharp

and substantial increase in imports of manmade fiber luggage is

attributed to imports from Thailand, Philippines and Sri Lanka. The

combination of high import levels, surging imports and low priced

luggage from these countries have resulted in loss of domestic output,

market share, investment, employment, and man-hours worked.

Total imports of manmade fiber luggage, Category 670-L, from the

three countries listed above increased from 24,069,000 kilograms in the

year ending January 1994 to 30,932,000 kilograms in the twelve months

ending in January 1995, a sharp and substantial increase of 29 percent.

Together their year ending January 1994 imports were 31 percent of

total U.S. imports in Category 670-L. Their share of total Category

670-L imports increased to 35 percent in the year ending January 1995.

Their year ending January 1995 imports, measured in kilograms of fabric

content, were 102 percent of total 1994 U.S. production of manmade

fiber luggage.

[FR Doc. 95-12602 Filed 5-22-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F