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

November 24, 1997.

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 1, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roy Unger, 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: Section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as

amended (7 U.S.C. 1854); Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as

amended.

The import restraint limits and Guaranteed Access Levels (GALs) for

textile products, produced or manufactured in Costa Rica and exported

during the period January 1, 1998 through December 31, 1998 are based

on limits notified to the Textiles Monitoring Body pursuant to the

Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC).

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

Commissioner of Customs to establish limits and guaranteed access

levels for 1998.

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 61 FR 66263, published on December 17, 1996).

Information regarding the 1998 CORRELATION will be published in the

Federal Register at a later date.

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; 54 FR 50425,

published on December 6, 1989; 55 FR 21047, published on May 22, 1990,

and 62 FR 49206, published on September 19, 1997.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

November 24, 1997.

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); Executive Order 11651 of

March 3, 1972, as amended; and the Uruguay Round Agreement on

Textiles and Clothing (ATC), you are directed to prohibit, effective

on January 1, 1998, 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, 1998 and extending through December

31, 1998, in excess of the following restraint limits:

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Category Twelve-month limit

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340/640................................ 1,046,972 dozen.

342/642................................ 386,496 dozen.

347/348................................ 1,764,380 dozen.

443.................................... 215,128 numbers.

[[Page 63521]]

447.................................... 11,599 dozen.

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The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to

the provisions of the ATC and administrative arrangements notified

to the Textiles Monitoring Body.

Products in the above categories exported during 1997 shall be

charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see

directive dated December 24, 1996) to the extent of any unfilled

balances. In the event the limits established for that period have

been exhausted by previous entries, such products shall be charged

to the limits set forth in this directive.

Also pursuant to the ATC; 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), 54 FR 50425 (December 6, 1989) and 62 FR

49206 (September 19, 1997), 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, 1998 and extending through December 31,

1998:

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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.97-31428 Filed 11-28-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F