Increase of an Import Restraint Level for Certain Cotton and Man- Made Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Mexico

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Increase of an Import Restraint Level for Certain Cotton and Man-

Made Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Mexico

December 12, 1997

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs increasing a

level.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: December 17, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roy Unger, International Trade

Specialist,

[[Page 66056]]

Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-

4212. For information on the quota status of this level, 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 Government of the United States has agreed to increase the 1997

consultation level for Categories 347/348/647/648 to 690,000 dozen.

This level does not apply to NAFTA (North America Free Trade

Agreement) originating goods, as defined in Annex 300-B, Chapter 4 and

Annex 401 of the agreement. In addition, this consultation level does

not apply to textile and apparel goods that are assembled in Mexico

from fabrics wholly formed and cut in the United States and exported

from and re-imported into the United States under U.S. tariff item

9802.00.90.

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 20, 1996). Also see

61 FR 54986, published on October 23, 1996.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

December 12, 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 October 17, 1996, by the Chairman,

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That

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

fiber textile products, produced or manufactured in Mexico and

exported during the twelve-month period beginning on January 1, 1997

and extending through December 31, 1997. The levels established in

that directive do not apply to NAFTA (North America Free Trade

Agreement) originating goods, as defined in Annex 300-B, Chapter 4

and Annex 401 of NAFTA or to goods assembled in Mexico from fabrics

wholly formed and cut in the United States and exported from and re-

imported into the United States under U.S. tariff item 9802.00.90.

Effective on December 17, 1997, you are directed to increase the

level for Categories 347/348/647/648 to 690,000 dozen \1\, pursuant

to exchange of letters dated December 5, 1997 and provisions of the

NAFTA (North America Free Trade Agreement).

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\1\ The level has not been adjusted to account for any imports

exported after December 31, 1996.

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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. 97-32900 Filed 12-16-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F