Announcement of Import Limit for Certain Cotton and Wool Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Colombia

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcement of Import Limit for Certain Cotton and Wool Textile

Products Produced or Manufactured in Colombia

March 30, 1995.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing

limits.

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

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 21, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Tallarico, 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).

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated November 18, 1994 between

the Governments of the United States and the Republic of Colombia

establishes limits for textile products in Categories 315 and 443 for

the period beginning on January 1, 1995 and extending through December

31, 1995.

These limits will be subject to revision pursuant to the Uruguay

Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) on the date that

Colombia becomes a member of the World Trade Organization.

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).

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 MOU, but are designed to assist only in the implementation of

certain of its provisions.

Rita D. Hayes,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

March 30, 1995.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

Dear Commissioner: Under the terms of section 204 of the

Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854); pursuant to a

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated November 18, 1994 between

the Governments of the United States and the Republic of Colombia;

and in accordance with the provisions of Executive Order 11651 of

March 3, 1972, as amended, you are directed to prohibit, effective

on April 21, [[Page 17320]] 1995, entry into the United States for

consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of textile

products in the following categories, produced or manufactured in

Colombia and exported during the twelve-month period beginning on

January 1, 1995 and extending through December 31, 1995, in excess

of the following levels:

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

Category Twelve-month limit\1\

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

315................................ 18,460,748 square meters.

443................................ 122,412 numbers.

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

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

after December 31, 1994.

Imports charged to the category limits for the period January 1,

1994 through December 31, 1994, shall be charged against that 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.

Should Colombia become a member of the World Trade Organization

(WTO), the limits set forth above will be subject to adjustment in

the future pursuant to the provisions of the Uruguay Round Agreement

on Textiles and Clothing and any administrative arrangement notified

to the Textiles Monitoring Body.

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. 95-8281 Filed 4-4-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F