Adjustment of Import Limits and a Guaranteed Access Level for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Guatemala

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Adjustment of Import Limits and a Guaranteed Access Level for

Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or

Manufactured in Guatemala

August 11, 1998.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs adjusting

limits.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: August 17, 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 current limits for certain categories are being adjusted,

variously, for swing and carryover.

Upon the request of the Government of Guatemala, the U.S.

Government has agreed to increase the current Guaranteed Access Level

for textile products in Categories 347/348.

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 62 FR 66057, published on December 17, 1997). Also

[[Page 43916]]

see 62 FR 67624, published on December 29, 1997.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

August 11, 1998.

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 19, 1997, 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 Guatemala and

exported during the twelve-month period which began on January 1,

1998 and extends through December 31, 1998.

Effective on August 17, 1998, you are directed to adjust the

current limits for the following categories, as provided for under

the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing:

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Adjusted twelve-month limit

Category \1\

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340/640................................... 1,516,920 dozen.

347/348................................... 1,817,452 dozen.

351/651................................... 320,183 dozen.

443....................................... 76,157 numbers.

448....................................... 47,055 dozen.

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

exported after December 31, 1997.

The Guaranteed Access Levels (GALs) for Categories 340/640, 351/

651, 443 and 448 remain unchanged. The GAL for Categories 347/348 is

being increased to 1,600,00 dozen.

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. 98-21982 Filed 8-14-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F