Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool, Man-Made Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Textiles and Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Hong Kong

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool,

Man-Made Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Textiles and

Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Hong Kong

December 15, 1995.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing

limits.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet Heinzen, 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).

The import restraint limits for textile products, produced or

manufactured in Hong Kong and exported during the period January 1,

1996 through December 31, 1996 are based on limits notified to the

Textiles Monitoring Body pursuant to the Uruguay Round Agreements Act

and the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC).

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

Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1996 limits. These limits have

been increased, variously, for adjustments permitted under the

flexibility provisions of the ATC.

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).

Information regarding the 1996 CORRELATION will be available at a later

date.

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 ATC, 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 15, 1995.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

Dear Commissioner: Pursuant to section 204 of the Agricultural

Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854), the Uruguay Round

Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and

Clothing (ATC); and in accordance with the provisions of Executive

Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended, you are directed to

prohibit, effective on January 1, 1996, entry into the United States

for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of

cotton, wool, man-made fiber, silk blend and other vegetable fiber

textiles and textile products in the following categories, produced

or manufactured in Hong Kong and exported during the twelve-month

period beginning on January 1, 1996 and extending through December

31, 1996, in excess of the following limits:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Category Twelve-month restraint limit

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Group I

200-229, 300-326, 360-369, 400-414, 464- 231,732,646 square meters

469, 600-629 and 665-670, as a group. equivalent.

Sublevels in Group I

219..................................... 39,616,503 square meters.

218/225/317/326......................... 71,092,259 square meters of

which not more than

3,915,484 square meters

shall be in Category 218(1)

\1\ (yard dyed fabric other

than denim and jacquard).

611..................................... 6,246,076 square meters.

617..................................... 3,940,835 square meters.

[[Page 66267]]

Group I Subgroup

200, 226/313, 314, 315, 369(1) and 604, 105,114,569 square meters

as a group. equivalent.

Within Group I Subgroup

200..................................... 341,558 kilograms.

226/313................................. 71,063,499 square meters.

314..................................... 19,164,973 square meters.

315..................................... 9,475,228 square meters.

369(1) \2\(shoptowels).................. 778,672 kilograms.

604..................................... 234,457 kilograms.

Group II

237, 239, 330-359, 431-459 and 630-659, 843,523,844 square meters

as a group. equivalent.

Sublevels in Group II

237..................................... 1,145,602 dozen.

239..................................... 5,251,589 kilograms.

331..................................... 4,165,089 dozen pairs.

333/334................................. 294,115 dozen.

335..................................... 340,319 dozen.

338/339 \3\ (shirts and blouses other 2,892,609 dozen.

than tank tops and tops, knit).

338/339(1) \4\ (tank tops and knit tops) 2,173,232 dozen.

340..................................... 2,769,978 dozen.

345..................................... 447,394 dozen.

347/348................................. 6,711,062 dozen of which not

more than 6,621,062 dozen

shall be in Categories 347-

W/348-W \5\; not more than

5,017,693 dozen shall be in

Category 348-W.

352..................................... 6,738,277 dozen.

359(1) \6\ (coveralls, overalls and 599,433 kilograms.

jumpsuits).

359(2) \7\ (vests)...................... 1,249,341 kilograms.

433..................................... 10,241 dozen.

434..................................... 10,994 dozen.

435..................................... 76,149 dozen.

436..................................... 99,181 dozen.

438..................................... 814,560 dozen.

442..................................... 90,835 dozen.

443..................................... 62,577 numbers.

444..................................... 41,130 numbers.

445/446................................. 1,346,359 dozen.

447/448................................. 67,709 dozen.

631..................................... 635,826 dozen pairs.

633/634/635............................. 1,319,253 dozen of which not

more than 493,430 dozen

shall be in Categories 633/

634 and not more than

1,013,038 dozen shall be in

Category 635.

638/639................................. 4,856,092 dozen.

641..................................... 839,112 dozen.

644..................................... 43,126 numbers.

645/646................................. 1,330,963 dozen.

647..................................... 528,923 dozen.

648..................................... 1,146,530 dozen of which not

more than 1,131,740 dozen

shall be in Category 648-

W\8\.

649..................................... 814,328 dozen.

650..................................... 168,400 dozen.

652..................................... 4,823,852 dozen.

659(1) \9\ (coveralls, overalls and 662,530 kilograms.

jumpsuits).

659(2) \10\ (swimsuits)................. 268,913 kilograms.

443/444/643/644/843/844(1) (made-to- 56,914 numbers.

measure suits).

Group II Subgroup

336, 341, 342, 350, 351, 636, 640, 642 153,947,658 square meters

and 651, as a group. equivalent.

Within Group II Subgroup

336..................................... 221,261 dozen.

341..................................... 2,803,856 dozen.

342..................................... 546,882 dozen.

350..................................... 136,354 dozen.

351..................................... 1,184,223 dozen.

636..................................... 297,779 dozen.

640..................................... 933,490 dozen.

642..................................... 236,806 dozen.

651..................................... 322,488 dozen.

Group III

831-844 and 847-859, as a group......... 46,838,216 square meters

equivalent.

Sublevels in Group III

834..................................... 12,118 dozen.

835..................................... 111,840 dozen.

836..................................... 161,029 dozen.

840..................................... 664,341 dozen.

842..................................... 257,003 dozen.

847..................................... 356,774 dozen.

Limits not in a group

845(1) \11\ (sweaters made in Hong Kong) 1,126,525 dozen.

845(2) \12\ (sweaters assembled in Hong 2,696,471 dozen.

Kong from knit-to-shape components,

knit elsewhere).

846(1) \13\ (sweaters made in Hong Kong) 182,170 dozen.

846(2) \14\ (sweaters assembled in Hong 438,960 dozen.

Kong from knit-to-shape components,

knit elsewhere).

------------------------------------------------------------------------

\1\ Category 218(1): all HTS numbers except 5209.42.0060, 5209.42.0080,

5211.42.0060, 5211.42.0080, 5514.32.0015 and 5516.43.0015.

\2\ Category 369(1): only HTS number 6307.10.2005.

\3\ Categories 338/339: all HTS numbers except 6109.10.0018,

6109.10.0023, 6109.10.0060, 6109.10.0065, 6114.20.0005 and

6114.20.0010.

\4\ Categories 338/339(1): only HTS numbers 6109.10.0018, 6109.10.0023,

6109.10.0060, 6109.10.0065, 6114.20.0005 and 6114.20.0010.

\5\ Category 347-W: only HTS numbers 6203.19.1020, 6203.19.9020,

6203.22.3020, 6203.22.3030, 6203.42.4005, 6203.42.4010, 6203.42.4015,

6203.42.4025, 6203.42.4035, 6203.42.4045, 6203.42.4050, 6203.42.4060,

6203.49.8020, 6210.40.9033, 6211.20.1520, 6211.20.3810 and

6211.32.0040; Category 348-W: only HTS numbers 6204.12.0030,

6204.19.8030, 6204.22.3040, 6204.22.3050, 6204.29.4034, 6204.62.3000,

6204.62.4005, 6204.62.4010, 6204.62.4020, 6204.62.4030, 6204.62.4040,

6204.62.4050, 6204.62.4055, 6204.62.4065, 6204.69.6010, 6204.69.9010,

6210.50.9060, 6211.20.1550, 6211.20.6810, 6211.42.0030 and

6217.90.9050.

\6\ Category 359(1): only HTS numbers 6103.42.2025, 6103.49.8034,

6104.62.1020, 6104.69.8010, 6114.20.0048, 6114.20.0052, 6203.42.2010,

6203.42.2090, 6204.62.2010, 6211.32.0010, 6211.32.0025 and

6211.42.0010.

\7\ Category 359(2): only HTS numbers 6103.19.2030, 6103.19.9030,

6104.12.0040, 6104.19.8040, 6110.20.1022, 6110.20.1024, 6110.20.2030,

6110.20.2035, 6110.90.9044, 6110.90.9046, 6201.92.2010, 6202.92.2020,

6203.19.1030, 6203.19.9030, 6204.12.0040, 6204.19.8040, 6211.32.0070

and 6211.42.0070.

\8\ Category 648-W: only HTS numbers 6204.23.0040, 6204.23.0045,

6204.29.2020, 6204.29.2025, 6204.29.4038, 6204.63.2000, 6204.63.3000,

6204.63.3510, 6204.63.3530, 6204.63.3532, 6204.63.3540, 6204.69.2510,

6204.69.2530, 6204.69.2540, 6204.69.2560, 6204.69.6030, 6204.69.9030,

6210.50.5035, 6211.20.1555, 6211.20.6820, 6211.43.0040 and

6217.90.9060.

\9\ Category 659(1): only HTS numbers 6103.23.0055, 6103.43.2020,

6103.43.2025, 6103.49.2000, 6103.49.8038, 6104.63.1020, 6104.63.1030,

6104.69.1000, 6104.69.8014, 6114.30.3044, 6114.30.3054, 6203.43.2010,

6203.43.2090, 6203.49.1010, 6203.49.1090, 6204.63.1510, 6204.69.1010,

6210.10.9010, 6211.33.0010, 6211.33.0017 and 6211.43.0010.

\10\ Category 659(2): only HTS numbers 6112.31.0010, 6112.31.0020,

6112.41.0010, 6112.41.0020, 6112.41.0030, 6112.41.0040, 6211.11.1010,

6211.11.1020, 6211.12.1010 and 6211.12.1020.

\11\ Category 845(1): only HTS numbers 6103.29.2074, 6104.29.2079,

6110.90.9024, 6110.90.9042 and 6117.90.9015.

\12\ Category 845(2): only HTS numbers 6103.29.2070, 6104.29.2077,

6110.90.9022 and 6110.90.9040.

\13\ Category 846(1): only HTS numbers 6103.29.2068, 6104.29.2075,

6110.90.9020 and 6110.90.9038.

\14\ Category 846(2): only HTS numbers 6103.29.2066, 6104.29.2073,

6110.90.9018 and 6110.90.9036.

Imports charged to these category limits, except made-to-measure

suits in Categories 443/444/643/644/843/844(1), for the period

January 1, 1995 through December 31, 1995, shall be charged against

those levels of restraint to the extent of any unfilled balances. In

the event the limits established for that period have been exhausted

by previous entries, such goods shall be subject to the levels set

forth in this directive.

The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment in the

future pursuant to the provisions of the Uruguay Round Agreements

Act, the ATC and any administrative

[[Page 66268]]

arrangements notified to the Textiles Monitoring Body.

The conversion factors for merged Categories 333/334, 633/634/

635 and 638/639 are 33, 33.90 and 13, respectively.

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,

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc. 95-31030 Filed 12-20-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F