Announcement of an Import Restraint Limit for Certain Wool Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Ukraine

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcement of an Import Restraint Limit for Certain Wool

Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Ukraine

November 1, 1996.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing

a limit.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Naomi Freeman, International Trade

Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of

Commerce, (202) 482-4212. For information on the quota status of this

limit, 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 May 6, 1995, between the

Governments of the United States and Ukraine establishes a limit for

textile products in Category 435 for the period January 1, 1997 through

December 31, 1997.

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

Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1997 limit. The limit for

Category 435 has been reduced for carryforward applied in 1996.

This limit is subject to revision pursuant to the Uruguay Round

Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement of Textiles and Clothing

(ATC). On the date that Ukraine becomes a member of the World Trade

Organization the restraint limit will be modified in accordance with

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 60 FR 65299, published on December 19, 1995).

Information regarding the 1997 CORRELATION will be published in the

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

certain of its provisions.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

November 1, 1996.

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), and the Memorandum of

Understanding dated May 6, 1995, between the Governments of the

United States and Ukraine; 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, 1997, entry into the United

States for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption

of wool textile products in Category 435, produced or manufactured

in Ukraine and exported during the twelve-month period beginning on

January 1, 1997 and extending through December 31, 1997, in excess

of 81,558 dozen.

Imports charged to this category limit for the period January 1,

1996 through December 31, 1996 shall be charged against that level

of restraint to the extent of any unfilled balance. In the event the

limit established for that period has been exhausted by previous

entries, such goods shall be subject to the level set forth in this

directive.

Should Ukraine become a member of the World Trade Organization,

the limit set forth above will be subject to adjustment in the

future pursuant to the provisions of the Uruguay Round Agreements

Act, the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing and any

administrative arrangement notified to the Textiles Monitoring Body.

[[Page 57400]]

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 this action falls 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. 96-28571 Filed 11-5-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F