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

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 20, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Anne Novak, 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 the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing

(ATC) and the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, the limits agreed upon by

the Governments of the United States and Hong Kong, as notified to the

Uruguay Round Textiles Monitoring Body (TMB), are being amended for the

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

1995. Pursuant to the ATC, these new limits supersede those notified to

the TMB contained in the Bilateral Textile Agreement of August 4, 1986,

as amended and extended, and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), dated

July 29, 1992, August 18, 1992 and November 23, 1992, between the

Governments of the United States and Hong Kong.

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 ATC, but are designed to assist only in the

[[Page 17323]] implementation of certain of their 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: 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 April 20,

1995, 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, 1995

and extending through December 31, 1995, in excess of the following

limits. These limits supersede those contained in the Bilateral Textile

Agreement of August 4, 1986, as amended and extended, and Memoranda of

Understanding (MOUs) dated July 29, 1992, August 18, 1992 and November

23, 1992, between the Governments of the United States and Hong Kong.

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

Category Twelve-month restraint limit\1\

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

Group I:

200-229, 300-326, 360-369, 400- 220,381,584 square meters

414, 464-469, 600-629 and 665- equivalent.

670, as a group.

Sublevels in Group I:

219............................ 35,321,104 square meters.

218/225/317/326................ 64,700,379 square meters.

611............................ 5,568,848 square meters.

617............................ 3,513,522 square meters.

Group I Subgroup:

200, 226/313, 314, 315, 369(1) 98,987,150 square meters

and 604, as a group. equivalent.

Within Group I Subgroup:

200............................ 304,525 kilograms.

226/313........................ 63,358,475 square meters.

314............................ 17,087,020 square meters.

315............................ 8,447,881 square meters.

369(1)\2\ (shoptowels)......... 694,245 kilograms.

604............................ 209,036 kilograms.

Group II:

237, 239, 330-359, 431-459, 630- 802,205,145 square meters

659, 843 and 844, as a group. equivalent.

Sublevels in Group II:

237............................ 1,021,391 dozen.

239............................ 4,682,189 kilograms.

331............................ 3,847,971 dozen pairs.

333/334........................ 267,671 dozen.

335............................ 316,221 dozen.

338/339\3\ (shirts and blouses 2,687,784 dozen.

other than tank tops and tops,

knit).

338/339(1)\4\ (tank tops and knit 2,019,346 dozen.

tops).

340............................ 2,573,837 dozen.

345............................ 407,169 dozen.

347/348........................ 6,152,226 dozen of which not more

than 6,152,226 dozen shall be in

Categories 347-W/348-W\5\; not

more than 4,662,390 dozen shall be

in Category 348-W; not more than

3,027,891 dozen shall be in

Category 347 (other than W); not

more than 4,662,390 dozen shall be

in Category 348 (other than W).

352............................ 6,007,683 dozen.

359(1)\6\ (coveralls, overalls 537,469 kilograms.

and jumpsuits).

359(2)\7\ (outer vests)........ 1,120,195 kilograms.

433............................ 9,287 dozen.

434............................ 9,970 dozen.

435............................ 70,758 dozen.

436............................ 92,157 dozen.

438............................ 756,881 dozen.

442............................ 82,379 dozen.

443............................ 58,146 numbers.

444............................ 37,301 numbers.

445/446........................ 1,251,023 dozen.

447/448........................ 62,914 dozen.

631............................ 566,886 dozen pairs.

633/634/635.................... 1,200,639 dozen of which not more

than 449,065 dozen shall be in

Categories 633/634 and not more

than 921,956 dozen shall be in

Category 635.

638/639........................ 4,512,233 dozen.

641............................ 779,695 dozen.

644............................ 38,450 numbers.

645/646........................ 1,297,341 dozen.

647............................ 471,574 dozen.

648............................ 997,558 dozen of which not more

than 997,558 dozen shall be in

Category 648-W\8\.

[[Page 17324]]

649............................ 726,035 dozen.

650............................ 150,141 dozen.

652............................ 4,325,207 dozen.

659(1)\9\ (coveralls, overalls 594,043 kilograms.

and jumpsuits).

659(2)\10\ (swimsuits)......... 239,756 kilograms.

Group II Subgroup:

336, 341, 342, 350, 351, 636, 147,327,497 square meters

640, 642 and 651, as a group. equivalent.

Within Group II Subgroup:

336............................ 197,271 dozen.

341............................ 2,605,315 dozen.

342............................ 497,713 dozen

350............................ 122,956 dozen.

351............................ 1,100,368 dozen.

636............................ 265,493 dozen.

640............................ 836,995 dozen.

642............................ 211,130 dozen.

651............................ 287,523 dozen.

Group III:

831-842 and 847-859, as a group 44,619,970 square meters

equivalent.

Sublevels in Group III:

834............................ 10,805 dozen.

835............................ 103,325 dozen.

836............................ 144,383 dozen.

840............................ 613,759 dozen.

842............................ 231,750 dozen.

847............................ 329,610 dozen.

Limits not in a group:

845(1)\11\ (sweaters made in 1,103,156 dozen.

Hong Kong).

845(2)\12\ (sweaters assembled 2,640,536 dozen.

in Hong Kong from knit-to-

shape components, knit

elsewhere).

846(1)\13\ (sweaters made in 178,391 dozen.

Hong Kong.

846(2)\14\ (sweaters assembled 429,854 dozen.

in Hong Kong from knit-to-

shape components, knit

elsewhere).

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

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

after December 31, 1994.

\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.

The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment in the future

pursuant to the provisions of the ATC and any administrative

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,

Rita D. Hayes,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc. 95-8295 Filed 4-4-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-M