Adjustment of an Import Limit for Certain Wool Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Mexico

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Adjustment of an Import Limit for Certain Wool Textile Products

Produced or Manufactured in Mexico

March 7, 1997.

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

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

limit.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: March 13, 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) 927-6711. 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 limit for Category 443 is being increased for

carryover.

The restrictions and consultation levels in the October 17, 1996

directive to the Commissioner of Customs do not apply to NAFTA (North

American Free Trade Agreement) originating goods, as defined in Annex

300-B, Chapter 4 and Annex 401 of the agreement. In addition,

restrictions and consultation levels do 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 17, 1996). Also see

61 FR 54986, published on October 23, 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

Annex 300(B) of the North America Free Trade Agreement, 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

March 7, 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 which began on January 1,

1997 and extends through December 31, 1997. The levels established

in that directive do not apply to NAFTA (North American 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 March 13, 1997, you are directed to increase the

limit for Category 443 to 187,290 numbers \1\, pursuant to the

provisions of the agreement between the Governments of the United

States, Mexico and Canada.

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\1\ The limit 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. 97-6338 Filed 3-12-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F