Announcing Settlement on an Import Limit and a Guaranteed Access Level for Certain Cotton and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in the Dominican Republic

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcing Settlement on an Import Limit and a Guaranteed Access

Level for Certain Cotton and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced

or Manufactured in the Dominican Republic

June 29, 1995.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing

a limit and announcing a Guaranteed Access Level.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: July 5, 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 this

limit, 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. For information

on categories on 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).

In a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated June 23, 1995, the

Governments of the United States and the Dominican Republic agreed,

pursuant to Article 6 of the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and

Clothing (ATC), to establish a limit for cotton and man-made fiber

underwear in Categories 352/652 for a three year term--March 27, 1995

through December 31, 1995; January 1, 1996 through December 31, 1996;

January 1, 1997 through December 31, 1997; January 1, 1998 through

March 26, 1998. The governments also agreed to establish a Guaranteed

Access Level for Categories 352/652 for the periods January 1, 1996

through December 31, 1996; January 1, 1997 through December 31, 1997;

and January 1, 1998 through March 26, 1998.

Beginning on July 5, 1995, the U.S. Customs Service will start

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

formed and cut parts in Categories 352/652 that are destined for the

Dominican Republic and subject to the GAL established for Categories

352/652 for the period beginning on January 1, 1996 and extending

through December 31, 1996. 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 352/652 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 a limit for Categories 352/652 for

the period beginning on March 27, 1995 and extending through December

31, 1995 and 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 59 FR 65531, published on December 20, 1994). Also see

60 FR 17321, published on April 5, 1995; and 60 FR 19891, published on

April 21, 1995.

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 Uruguay Round Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement on

Textiles and Clothing, but are designed to assist only in the

implementation of certain of their provisions.

Rita D. Hayes,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

June 29, 1995.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

Dear Commissioner: This directive cancels and supersedes the

directive issued to you on June 16, 1995, by the Chairman, Committee

for the Implementation of Textile Agreements, directing you to

establish a limit for cotton and man-made fiber textile products in

Categories 352/652 for the period March 27, 1995 through March 26,

1996.

This directive amends, but does not cancel, the directive issued

to you on March 30, 1995, by the Chairman, Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements. That directive concerns

imports of cotton, wool, man-made fiber and other vegetable fiber

textiles and textile products, produced or manufactured in the

Dominican Republic and exported during the twelve-month period

beginning on January 1, 1995 and extending through December 31,

1995.

Effective on July 5, 1995, you are directed, pursuant to the

Memorandum of Understanding dated June 23, 1995 between the

Governments of the United States and the Dominican Republic, the

Uruguay Round Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement on

Textiles and Clothing, to establish a limit for textile products in

Categories 352/652 at a level of 18,000,000 dozen \1\ for the period

beginning on March 27, 1995 and extending through December 31, 1995.

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

exported after March 26, 1995.

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Textile products in Categories 352/652 which have been exported

to the United States prior to March 27, 1995 shall not be subject to

this directive.

Textile products in Categories 352/652 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.

Import charges will be provided at a later date.

Beginning on July 5, 1995, 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 352/652 that

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

United States on or after January 1, 1996.

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. 95-16508 Filed 7-5-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F