Announcing Settlement on Import Limits and Guaranteed Access Levels for Certain Cotton and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in El Salvador

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcing Settlement on Import Limits and Guaranteed Access

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

or Manufactured in El Salvador

August 2, 1995.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing

limits and announcing Guaranteed Access Levels.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: August 9, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Aldrich, 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 July 6, 1995, the

Governments of the United States and El Salvador agreed, pursuant to

the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC), to

establish limits for Categories 351/651 and 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; and

January 1, 1998 through March 26, 1998. The governments also agreed to

establish Guaranteed Access Levels (GALs) for Categories 351/651 and

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 August 9, 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 351/651 and 352/652 that are

destined for El Salvador and subject to the GAL established for

Categories 351/651 and 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 351/651 and 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 El Salvador 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 amend the current restraint period for

Categories 351/651 and 352/652 to end on December 31, 1995 at increased

levels.

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 32654, published on June 23, 1995; and 60 FR 19892, published on

April 21, 1995.

Requirements for participation in the Special Access Program are

provided 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 60 FR 2740, published on January 11, 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

August 2, 1995.

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 June 16, 1995, by the Chairman,

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That

directive concerns imports of certain cotton and man-made fiber

textile products, produced or manufactured in El Salvador and

exported during the twelve-month period beginning on March 27, 1995

and extending through March 26, 1996.

Effective on August 9, 1995, you are directed, pursuant to the

Memorandum of Understanding dated July 6, 1995 between the

Governments of the United States and El Salvador, the Uruguay Round

Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and

Clothing, to amend the current restraint period to end on December

31, 1995 and increase the limits for Categories 351/651 and 352/652

as follows:

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Category Restraint period \1\

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351/651............................ 500,000 dozen.

352/652............................ 8,000,000 dozen.

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\1\ The limits have not been adjusted to account for any imports

exported after March 26, 1995.

Beginning on August 9, 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 351/651 and

352/652 that are destined for El Salvador and re-exported to the

United States on and after January 1, 1996.

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. 95-19427 Filed 8-4-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F