Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool, Man-Made Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Textiles and Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Romania

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool,

Man-Made Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Textiles and

Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Romania

November 30, 1998.

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, 1999.

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 these

limits, refer to the Quota Status Reports posted on the bulletin boards

of each Customs port, call (202) 927-5850, or refer to the U.S. Customs

website at http://www.customs.ustreas.gov. For information on embargoes

and quota re-openings, call (202) 482-3715.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 67052]]

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 Romania and exported during the period January 1, 1999

through December 31, 1999 are based on the limits notified to the

Textiles Monitoring Body pursuant to the Uruguay Round Agreement on

Textiles and Clothing (ATC).

Effective on January 1, 1999, a visa will no longer be required for

products integrated in the second stage of the integration of textiles

and clothing into GATT 1994 from WTO member countries (see 63 FR 53881,

published on October 7, 1998). A visa will continue to be required for

non-integrated products. For quota purposes only, products remaining in

categories partially integrated will continue to be designated by the

designator ``pt.''

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

Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1999 limits. The limits for

certain categories have been reduced for carryforward applied in 1998.

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).

Information regarding the 1999 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

November 30, 1998.

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, 1999, entry into the United States for consumption and

withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of cotton, wool, man-made

fiber, silk blend and other vegetable fiber textiles and textile

products in the following categories, produced or manufactured in

Romania and exported during the twelve-month period beginning on

January 1, 1999 and extending through December 31, 1999, in excess

of the following levels of restraint:

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Category Twelve-month limit

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313....................................... 2,156,440 square meters.

314....................................... 1,617,329 square meters.

315....................................... 3,892,107 square meters.

333/833................................... 154,149 dozen.

334....................................... 372,595 dozen.

335/835................................... 195,257 dozen.

338/339................................... 842,685 dozen.

340....................................... 367,827 dozen.

341/840................................... 154,149 dozen.

347/348................................... 657,706 dozen.

350....................................... 34,818 dozen.

352....................................... 234,461 dozen.

359pt. \1\................................ 841,005 kilograms.

360....................................... 2,173,391 numbers.

361....................................... 1,448,928 numbers.

369pt. \2\................................ 381,423 kilograms.

410....................................... 174,734 square meters.

433/434................................... 9,106 dozen.

435....................................... 9,525 dozen.

442....................................... 11,724 dozen.

443....................................... 85,101 numbers.

444....................................... 40,118 numbers.

447/448................................... 23,513 dozen.

604....................................... 1,667,999 kilograms.

638/639................................... 783,169 dozen.

640....................................... 107,712 dozen.

647....................................... 102,546 dozen.

648....................................... 77,532 dozen.

666....................................... 156,155 kilograms.

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\1\ Category 359pt.: all HTS numbers except 6406.99.1550.

\2\ Category 369pt.: all HTS numbers except 5601.10.1000, 5601.21.0090,

5701.90.1020, 5701.90.2020, 5702.10.9020, 5702.39.2010, 5702.49.1020,

5702.49.1080, 5702.59.1000, 5702.99.1010, 5702.99.1090, 5705.00.2020

and 6406.10.7700.

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 1998 shall be

charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see

directive dated November 24, 1997) 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.

Effective on January 1, 1999, a visa will no longer be required

for products integrated in the second stage of the integration of

textiles and clothing into GATT 1994 from WTO member countries (see

directive dated September 30, 1998). A visa will continue to be

required for non-integrated products. For quota purposes only,

products remaining in categories partially integrated will continue

to be designated by the designator ``pt.''

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. 98-32352 Filed 12-3-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F