Amendment of Import Limits and Establishment of Special Access Levels for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Colombia

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Amendment of Import Limits and Establishment of Special Access

Levels for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products

Produced or Manufactured in Colombia

December 13, 1995.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs amending

import limits and establishing special access levels.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: December 20, 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).

Pursuant to Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) dated June 27, 1995

and August 9, 1995, Special Access Levels are being established for

textile products in Categories 352/652 and 444 under the Andean Special

Access Textile Program for textile products which are assembled in

Colombia from fabric wholly formed and cut in the United States that

are intended for re-export to the United States during the periods

April 1, 1995 through December 31, 1995 (Categories 352/652) and

January 1, 1995 through December 31, 1995 (Category 444). There is a

sublimit for products that are not assembled from U.S. formed and cut

fabrics.

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

Commissioner of Customs to establish a Special Access Level at

22,500,000 dozen for Categories 352/652 and 201,000 numbers for

Category 444. The current limits for Categories 352/652 and 444 shall

be amended to become sublimits to the Special Access Levels at

[[Page 65296]]

levels of 2,250,000 and 80,400 numbers, respectively.

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 45144, published on August 30, 1995; 60 FR 45145, published on

August 30, 1995; 60 FR 53762, published on October 17, 1995.

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; 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 MOUs, 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.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

December 13, 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 August 24, 1995, by the Chairman,

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That

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

textile products, produced or manufactured in Colombia and exported

during the periods April 1, 1995 and through December 31, 1995

(Categories 352/652) and January 1, 1995 and through December 31,

1995 (Category 444).

Effective on December 20, 1995, you are directed, pursuant to

Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) dated June 27, 1995 and August 9,

1995 between the Governments of the United States and Colombia, and

under the terms of the Special Access Textile Program, as set forth

in 51 FR 21208 (June 11, 1986), 52 FR 26057 (July 10, 1987) and 54

FR 50425 (December 6, 1989), to establish a Special Access Level for

properly certified textile products in Categories 352/652 and 444

which are assembled in Colombia from fabric formed and cut in the

United States and re-exported to the United States from Colombia

during the periods April 1, 1995 through December 31, 1995

(Categories 352/652) and January 1, 1995 through December 31, 1995

(Category 444).

Also pursuant to the MOUs, the Uruguay Round Agreements Act and

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

directed to amend the current limits for Categories 352/652 and 444

to become sublimits to the Special Access Levels for textile

products not assembled from U.S. formed and cut fabrics.

The new Special Access Levels and their sublimits are listed

below:

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Category Special Access Level

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352/652 (Special Access).................. 22,500,000 dozen.

352/652 (non-Special Access sublimit)..... 2,250,000 dozen.

444 (Special Access)...................... 201,000 numbers.

444 (non-Special Access sublimit)......... 80,400 numbers.

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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 certifcation

requirements established in the directive of December 5, 1995, shall

be denied entry unless the Government of Colombia 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.

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,

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc. 95-30804 Filed 12-18-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F