Request for Public Comments on Bilateral Textile Consultations with El Salvador on Certain Cotton and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products

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 categories for which

consultations have been requested, call (202) 482-3740.

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).

On March 27, 1995, under the terms of Section 204 of the

Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended, the Government of the United

States requested consultations with the Government of El Salvador with

respect to cotton and man-made fiber pajamas and other nightwear in

Categories 351/651 and cotton and man-made fiber underwear in

Categories 352/652, produced or manufactured in El Salvador.

The purpose of this notice is to advise the public that, if no

solution is agreed upon in consultations with the Government of El

Salvador, the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

may later establish a limit for the entry and withdrawal from warehouse

for consumption of textile products in Categories 351/651 and 352/652,

produced or manufactured in El Salvador and exported during the twelve-

month period which began on March 27, 1995 and extends through March

26, 1996, at levels of not less than 259,914 dozen, in the case of

Categories 351/651; and 3,687,034 dozen, in the case of Categories 352/

652.

Statements of serious damage concerning Categories 351/651 and 352/

652 follow this notice.

Anyone wishing to comment or provide data or information regarding

the treatment of Categories 351/651 and 352/652, or to comment on

domestic production or availability of products included in Categories

351/651 and 352/652, is invited to submit 10 copies of such comments or

information to Rita D. Hayes, Chairman, Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements, U.S. Department of Commerce,

Washington, DC 20230; ATTN: Helen L. LeGrande. The comments received

will be considered in the context of the consultations with the

Government of El Salvador.

Because the exact timing of the consultations is not yet certain,

comments should be submitted promptly. Comments or information

submitted in response to this notice will be available for public

inspection in the Office of Textiles and Apparel, room H3100, U.S.

Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington,

DC.

Further comments may be invited regarding particular comments or

information received from the public which the Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements considers appropriate for further

consideration.

The solicitation of comments regarding any aspect of the agreement

or the implementation thereof is not a waiver in any respect of the

exemption contained in 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1) relating to matters which

constitute ``a foreign affairs function of the United States.''

The United States remains committed to finding a solution

concerning Categories 351/651 and 352/652. Should such a solution be

reached in consultations with the Government of El Salvador, further

notice will be published in the Federal Register.

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).

Rita D. Hayes,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Statement of Serious Damage--El Salvador

Cotton and Manmade Fiber Pajamas and Other Nightwear

Category 351/651

March 1995

Import Situation and Conclusion

U.S. imports of cotton and manmade fiber pajamas and other

nightwear, Category 351/651, from El Salvador reached 259,914 dozen in

1994, 119 percent above the 118,550 dozen imported in 1993 and seven

times its 1992 level. Imports from El Salvador were 2.3 percent of

total U.S. imports of Category 351/651 in 1994, and were equivalent to

2.5 percent of U.S. production of Category 351/651 in the year ending

September 1994.

U.S. imports of cotton and manmade fiber pajamas and other

nightwear from El Salvador in Category 351/651, entered the U.S. at an

average landed duty-paid value of $43.37 per dozen, 65 percent below

U.S. producers' average price for cotton and manmade fiber pajamas and

other nightwear.

The sharp and substantial increase of low valued Category 351/651

imports from El Salvador is causing serious damage to the U.S. industry

producing cotton and manmade fiber pajamas and other nightwear.

U.S. Production, Import Penetration, and Market Share

U.S. production of cotton and manmade fiber pajamas and other

nightwear, Category 351/651, fell from 11,639,000 dozen in 1992 to

10,442,000 dozen in 1993, a decline of 10 percent. Production continued

to decline in 1994, falling to 7,620,000 dozen during the first nine

months of 1994, 2 percent below the January-September 1993 production

level. In contrast U.S. imports of Category 351/651 surged from

9,347,000 dozen in 1992 to 10,832,000 dozen in 1993, a 16 percent

increase. Cotton and manmade fiber pajamas and other nightwear,

Category 351/651, imports continued to increase in 1994, reaching

11,406,000 dozen, 5 percent above the 1993 level and 22 percent above

the 1992 level.

The ratio of imports to domestic production increased from 80

percent in 1992 to 104 percent in 1993, and reached 111 percent during

January-September 1994. The share of the U.S. cotton and manmade fiber

pajamas and other nightwear market held by domestic manufacturers fell

from 55 percent in 1992 to 49 percent in 1993, a decline of six

percentage points, and fell to 47 percent during the first nine months

of 1994.

Statement of Serious Damage--El Salvador

Cotton and Manmade Fiber Underwear

Category 352/652

March 1995

Import Situation and Conclusion

U.S. imports of cotton and manmade fiber underwear, Category 352/

652, from El Salvador reached 3,687,034 dozen in 1994, 80 percent above

the 2,053,364 dozen imported in 1993 and nearly five times its 1992

level. Imports from El Salvador were 3.8 percent of total U.S. imports

of Category 352/652 in 1994, and were equivalent to 2.2 percent of U.S.

production of Category 352/652 in the year ending September 1994.

U.S. imports of cotton and manmade fiber underwear, from El

Salvador in Category 352/652, entered the U.S. at an average landed

duty-paid value of $9.85 per dozen, 67 percent below U.S. producers'

average price for cotton and manmade fiber underwear.

The sharp and substantial increase of low valued Category 352/652

imports from El Salvador is causing serious damage to the U.S. domestic

industry [[Page 19893]] producing cotton and manmade fiber underwear.

U.S. Production, Import Penetration, and Market Share

U.S. production of cotton and manmade fiber underwear, Category

352/652, declined from 175,542,000 dozen in 1992 to 168,802,000 dozen

in 1993, a decline of 4 percent. Production continued to decline in

1994, falling to 126,962,000 dozen during the first nine months of

1994, 4 percent below January-September 1993 production level. In

contrast imports of Category 352/652 surged from 65,507,000 dozen in

1992 to 79,962,000 dozen in 1993, a 22 percent increase. Cotton and

manmade fiber underwear, Category 352/652, imports continued to

increase in 1994, reaching 97,375,000 dozen, 22 percent above the 1993

level and 49 percent above the level imported in 1992.

The ratio of imports to domestic production increased from 37

percent in 1992 to 47 percent in 1993, and reached 54 percent during

January-September 1994. The share of this market held by domestic

manufacturers fell from 73 percent in 1992 to 68 percent in 1993, a

decline of five percentage points. The domestic market share dropped to

65 percent during the first nine months of 1994.

[FR Doc. 95-9905 Filed 4-20-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F