Announcement of Import Limits and Guaranteed Access Levels for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Costa Rica

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcement of Import Limits and Guaranteed Access Levels for

Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or

Manufactured in Costa Rica

January 24, 1996.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing

limits and guaranteed access levels.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 31, 1996.

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).

The import restraint limits for textile products, produced or

manufactured in Costa Rica 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). The

Guaranteed Access Levels are being established pursuant to a Memorandum

of Understanding dated December 23, 1993 between the Governments of the

United States and Costa Rica.

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

Commissioner of Customs to establish limits and guaranteed access

levels for 1996.

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 60 FR 65299, published on December 19, 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

[[Page 3003]]

54 FR 50425, published on December 6, 1989; and 55 FR 21047, published

on May 22, 1990.

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

January 24, 1996.

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), 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 31, 1996, entry into the United

States for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption

of cotton, wool and man-made fiber textile products in the following

categories, produced or manufactured in Costa Rica and exported

during the twelve-month period beginning on January 1, 1996 and

extending through December 31, 1996, in excess of the following

restraint limits:

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Category Twelve-month limit

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340/640................................ 889,229 dozen.

342/642................................ 328,264 dozen.

347/348................................ 1,498,547 dozen.

443.................................... 209,152 numbers.

447.................................... 11,277 dozen.

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Imports charged to these category limits 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 according to the provisions of the Uruguay Round Agreements

Act, the ATC, and any administrative arrangement notified to the

Textiles Monitoring Body.

Pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding dated December 23,

1993 between the Governments of the United States and Costa Rica;

and under the terms of the Special Access Program, as set forth in

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

50425 (December 6, 1989), you are directed to establish guaranteed

access levels for properly certified cotton, wool and man-made fiber

textile products in the following categories which are assembled in

Costa Rica from fabric formed and cut in the United States and re-

exported to the United States from Costa Rica during the period

beginning on January 1, 1996 and extending through December 31,

1996:

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Category Guaranteed access level

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340/640................................ 650,000 dozen.

342/642................................ 250,000 dozen.

347/348................................ 1,500,000 dozen.

443.................................... 200,000 numbers.

447.................................... 4,000 dozen.

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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 certification

requirements established in the directive of May 15, 1990 shall be

denied entry unless the Government of Costa Rica 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.

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 U.S.C.553(a)(1).

Sincerely,

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc.96-1743 Filed 1-29-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F