Adjustment of Import Limits for Certain Cotton, Man-Made Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Sri Lanka

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Adjustment of Import Limits for Certain Cotton, Man-Made Fiber,

Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Textile Products Produced or

Manufactured in Sri Lanka

December 1, 1997.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs adjusting

limits.

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

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 8, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Helen L. LeGrande, 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); Uruguay Round Agreements Act.

The current limits for certain categories are being adjusted,

variously, for swing and carryforward. In a previous notice, Category

369-S was reduced for swing to Categories 352/652. That reduction to

Category 369-S is being cancelled and, instead, the limit for Category

840 is being reduced to account for the swing to Categories 352/652. As

a result, the 1997 adjusted limit for Categories 352/652 remains

unchanged.

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). Also see

61 FR 68246, published on December 27, 1996.

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 Uruguay Round Agreement on

Textiles and Clothing, 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

December 1, 1997.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

Dear Commissioner: This directive amends, but does not cancel,

the directive issued to you on December 20, 1996, by the Chairman,

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That

directive concerns imports of certain cotton, wool, man-made fiber,

silk blend and other vegetable fiber textiles and textile products,

produced or manufactured in Sri Lanka and exported during the period

which began on January 1, 1997 and extends through December 31,

1997.

Effective on December 8, 1997, you are directed to adjust the

limits for the following categories, as provided for under the

Uruguay Round Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement on

Textiles and Clothing:

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

Adjusted twelve-month limit

Category \1\

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

314....................................... 5,198,149 square meters.

363....................................... 10,648,762 numbers.

369-D \2\................................. 523,786 kilograms.

369-S \3\................................. 889,698 kilograms.

840....................................... 148,203 dozen.

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

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

exported after December 31, 1996.

\2\ Category 369-D: only HTS numbers 6302.60.0010, 6302.91.0005 and

6302.91.0045.

\3\ Category 369-S: only HTS number 6307.10.2005.

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has

determined that these actions fall within the foreign affairs

exception to 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. 97-31882 Filed 12-4-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F