Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Singapore

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool

and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in

Singapore

December 19, 1997.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing

limits.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet Heinzen, 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 for textile products, produced or

manufactured in Singapore 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).

Pursuant to the provisions of the ATC, the second stage of the

integration commences on January 1, 1998 (see 60 FR 21075, published on

May 1, 1995). Accordingly, certain previously restrained categories may

have been modified or eliminated and certain limits may have been

revised. Integrated products will no longer be subject to quota. CITA

has informed Singapore of its intent to continue the bilateral visa

arrangement for those products.

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

Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1998 limits.

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

62 FR 51832, published on October 3, 1997. Information regarding the

1998 CORRELATION will be published in the Federal Register at a later

date.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

December 19, 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

[[Page 67629]]

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

categories, produced or manufactured in Singapore and exported

during the twelve-month period beginning on January 1, 1998 and

extending through December 31, 1998, in excess of the following

levels of restraint:

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Category Twelve-month restraint limit

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222....................................... 503,778 kilograms.

237....................................... 280,220 dozen.

239pt. \1\................................ 181,097 kilograms.

331....................................... 497,698 dozen pairs.

334....................................... 74,917 dozen.

335....................................... 225,354 dozen.

338/339................................... 1,386,289 dozen of which not

more than 810,160 dozen

shall be in Category 338

and not more than 900,797

dozen shall be in Category

339.

340....................................... 970,197 dozen.

341....................................... 243,957 dozen.

342....................................... 150,126 dozen.

347/348................................... 1,054,610 dozen of which not

more than 659,131 dozen

shall be in Category 347

and not more than 512,658

dozen shall be in Category

348.

435....................................... 6,912 dozen.

604....................................... 943,438 kilograms.

631....................................... 562,977 dozen pairs.

634....................................... 286,023 dozen.

635....................................... 292,699 dozen

638....................................... 1,050,516 dozen.

639....................................... 3,554,289 dozen.

640....................................... 206,837 dozen.

641....................................... 337,373 dozen.

642....................................... 331,267 dozen.

645/646................................... 161,122 dozen.

647....................................... 628,872 dozen.

648....................................... 1,551,976 dozen.

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\1\ Category 239pt.: only HTS number 6209.20.5040 (diapers).

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 October 28, 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.

Products for integration in 1998 listed in the Federal Register

notice published on May 1, 1995 (60 FR 21075) which are exported

during 1997 shall be charged to the applicable limits to the extent

of any unfilled balances. After January 1, 1998, should those

unfilled balances be exhausted, such products shall no longer be

charged to any limit, due to integration of these products into GATT

1994.

CITA has informed Singapore of its intent to continue the

bilateral visa arrangement for those products. An export visa will

continue to be required, if applicable, for products integrated on

and after January 1, 1998, before entry is permitted 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 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).

Sincerely,

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

[FR Doc. 97-33698 Filed 12-24-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F