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

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcement of Import Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool, Man-Made

Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Textiles and Textile

Products Produced or Manufactured in Taiwan

December 8, 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: 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, 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:

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 Bilateral Textile Agreement, effected by exchange of letters

dated January 10, 1997 and May 2, 1997, as amended and extended,

concerning textiles and textile products, produced or manufactured in

Taiwan, establishes limits for the period January 1, 1999 through

December 31, 1999.

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

Commissioner of Customs to establish limits for the 1999 period.

These limits may be revised if Taiwan becomes a member of the World

Trade Organization (WTO) and the WTO agreement is applied to Taiwan.

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).

Information regarding the 1999 CORRELATION will be published in the

Federal Register at a later date.

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

December 8, 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 Bilateral Textile Agreement,

effected by exchange of letters dated January 10, 1997 and May 2,

1997, as amended and extended, 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 Taiwan and exported during

the twelve-month period which begins on January 1, 1999 and extends

through December 31, 1999, in excess of the following levels of

restraint:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Category Twelve-month limit

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Group I

200-224, 225/317/326, 226, 227, 229, 300/ 578,780,670 square meters

301/607, 313-315, 360-363, 369-L/670-L/ equivalent.

870 \1\, 369-S \2\, 369-O \3\, 400-414,

464-469, 600-606, 611, 613/614/615/617,

618, 619/620, 621-624, 625/626/627/628/

629, 665, 666, 669-P \4\, 669-T \5\,

669-O \6\, 670-H \7\ and 670-O \8\, as

a group.

Sublevels in Group I

218..................................... 21,660,717 square meters.

225/317/326............................. 38,447,714 square meters.

226..................................... 6,977,033 square meters.

[[Page 69058]]

300/301/607............................. 1,715,086 kilograms of which

not more than 1,429,238

kilograms shall be in

Category 300; not more than

1,429,238 kilograms shall

be in Category 301; and not

more than 1,429,238

kilograms shall be in

Category 607.

363..................................... 12,146,131 numbers.

369-L/670-L/870......................... 48,998,795 kilograms.

611..................................... 3,122,158 square meters.

613/614/615/617......................... 19,363,313 square meters.

619/620................................. 14,232,335 square meters.

625/626/627/628/629..................... 18,519,629 square meters.

669-P................................... 336,680 kilograms.

669-T................................... 1,094,283 kilograms.

670-H................................... 18,762,953 kilograms.

Group I subgroup

200, 219, 313, 314, 315, 361, 369-S and 144,401,603 square meters

604, as a group. equivalent.

Within Group I subgroup

200..................................... 699,899 kilograms.

219..................................... 15,929,004 square meters.

313..................................... 66,651,530 square meters.

314..................................... 28,373,780 square meters.

315..................................... 21,741,546 square meters.

361..................................... 1,405,943 numbers.

369-S................................... 485,173 kilograms.

604..................................... 228,870 kilograms.

Group II

237, 239, 330-332, 333/334/335, 336, 338/ 755,000,000 square meters

339, 340-345, 347/348, 349, 350/650, equivalent.

351, 352/652, 353, 354, 359-C/659-C

\9\, 359-H/659-H \10\, 359-O \11\, 431-

444, 445/446, 447/448, 459, 630-632,

633/634/635, 636, 638/639, 640, 641-

644, 645/646, 647/648, 649, 651, 653,

654, 659-S \12\, 659-O \13\, 831-844

and 846-859, as a group.

Sublevels in Group II

237..................................... 683,810 dozen.

239..................................... 5,716,949 kilograms.

331..................................... 509,751 dozen pairs.

336..................................... 116,502 dozen.

338/339................................. 794,971 dozen.

340..................................... 1,120,030 dozen.

345..................................... 121,731 dozen.

347/348................................. 1,064,931 dozen of which not

more than 1,064,931 dozen

shall be in Categories 347-

W/348-W \14\.

352/652................................. 3,090,913 dozen.

359-C/659-C............................. 1,447,633 kilograms.

359-H/659-H............................. 4,819,400 kilograms.

433..................................... 15,240 dozen.

434..................................... 10,583 dozen.

435..................................... 25,128 dozen.

436..................................... 5,003 dozen.

438..................................... 28,240 dozen.

440..................................... 5,470 dozen.

442..................................... 43,739 dozen.

443..................................... 42,668 numbers.

444..................................... 60,769 numbers.

445/446................................. 136,098 dozen.

631..................................... 4,965,167 dozen pairs.

633/634/635............................. 1,634,440 dozen of which not

more than 959,317 dozen

shall be in Categories 633/

634 and not more than

850,077 dozen shall be in

Category 635.

638/639................................. 6,565,058 dozen.

640..................................... 1,058,909 dozen of which not

more than 281,710 dozen

shall be in Category 640-Y

\15\.

642..................................... 777,133 dozen.

643..................................... 507,779 numbers.

644..................................... 741,830 numbers.

645/646................................. 4,107,691 dozen.

647/648................................. 5,248,544 dozen of which not

more than 5,248,544 dozen

shall be in Categories 647-

W/648-W \16\.

659-S................................... 1,601,702 kilograms.

835..................................... 19,496 dozen.

Group II Subgroup

333/334/335, 341, 342, 350/650, 351, 447/ 76,748,231 square meters

448, 636, 641 and 651, as a group. equivalent.

Within Group II Subgroup

333/334/335............................. 299,726 dozen of which not

more than 162,352 dozen

shall be in Category 335.

341..................................... 339,920 dozen.

342..................................... 212,349 dozen.

350/650................................. 136,712 dozen.

351..................................... 353,280 dozen.

447/448................................. 20,824 dozen.

636..................................... 383,515 dozen.

641..................................... 731,080 dozen of which not

more than 255,878 dozen

shall be in Category 641-Y

\17\.

651..................................... 443,037 dozen.

Group III

Sublevel in Group III

845..................................... 852,064 dozen.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

\1\ Category 870; Category 369-L: only HTS numbers 4202.12.4000,

4202.12.8020, 4202.12.8060, 4202.92.1500, 4202.92.3016, 4202.92.6091

and 6307.90.9905; Category 670-L: only HTS numbers 4202.12.8030,

4202.12.8070, 4202.92.3020, 4202.92.3031, 4202.92.9026 and

6307.90.9907.

\2\ Category 369-S: only HTS number 6307.10.2005.

\3\ Category 369-O: all HTS numbers except 4202.12.4000, 4202.12.8020,

4202.12.8060, 4202.92.1500, 4202.92.3016, 4202.92.6091, 6307.90.9905

(Category 369-L); and 6307.10.2005 (Category 369-S).

\4\ Category 669-P: only HTS numbers 6305.32.0010, 6305.32.0020,

6305.33.0010, 6305.33.0020 and 6305.39.0000.

\5\ Category 669-T: only HTS numbers 6306.12.0000, 6306.19.0010 and

6306.22.9030.

\6\ Category 669-O: all HTS numbers except 6305.32.0010, 6305.32.0020,

6305.33.0010, 6305.33.0020, 6305.39.0000 (Category 669-P);

6306.12.0000, 6306.19.0010 and 6306.22.9030 (Category 669-T).

\7\ Category 670-H: only HTS numbers 4202.22.4030 and 4202.22.8050.

\8\ Category 670-O: all HTS numbers except 4202.22.4030, 4202.22.8050

(Category 670-H); 4202.12.8030, 4202.12.8070, 4202.92.3020,

4202.92.3031, 4202.92.9026 and 6307.90.9907 (Category 670-L).

\9\ Category 359-C: only HTS numbers 6103.42.2025, 6103.49.8034,

6104.62.1020, 6104.69.8010, 6114.20.0048, 6114.20.0052, 6203.42.2010,

6203.42.2090, 6204.62.2010, 6211.32.0010, 6211.32.0025 and

6211.42.0010; Category 659-C: only HTS numbers 6103.23.0055,

6103.43.2020, 6103.43.2025, 6103.49.2000, 6103.49.8038, 6104.63.1020,

6104.63.1030, 6104.69.1000, 6104.69.8014, 6114.30.3044, 6114.30.3054,

6203.43.2010, 6203.43.2090, 6203.49.1010, 6203.49.1090, 6204.63.1510,

6204.69.1010, 6210.10.9010, 6211.33.0010, 6211.33.0017 and

6211.43.0010.

\10\ Category 359-H: only HTS numbers 6505.90.1540 and 6505.90.2060;

Category 659-H: only HTS numbers 6502.00.9030, 6504.00.9015,

6504.00.9060, 6505.90.5090, 6505.90.6090, 6505.90.7090 and

6505.90.8090.

\11\ Category 359-O: all HTS numbers except 6103.42.2025, 6103.49.8034,

6104.62.1020, 6104.69.8010, 6114.20.0048, 6114.20.0052, 6203.42.2010,

6203.42.2090, 6204.62.2010, 6211.32.0010, 6211.32.0025 and

6211.42.0010 (Category 359-C); 6505.90.1540 and 6505.90.2060 (Category

359-H).

\12\ Category 659-S: only HTS numbers 6112.31.0010, 6112.31.0020,

6112.41.0010, 6112.41.0020, 6112.41.0030, 6112.41.0040, 6211.11.1010,

6211.11.1020, 6211.12.1010 and 6211.12.1020.

[[Page 69059]]

\13\ Category 659-O: all HTS numbers except 6103.23.0055, 6103.43.2020,

6103.43.2025, 6103.49.2000, 6103.49.8038, 6104.63.1020, 6104.63.1030,

6104.69.1000, 6104.69.8014, 6114.30.3044, 6114.30.3054, 6203.43.2010,

6203.43.2090, 6203.49.1010, 6203.49.1090, 6204.63.1510, 6204.69.1010,

6210.10.9010, 6211.33.0010, 6211.33.0017 and 6211.43.0010 (Category

659-C); 6502.00.9030, 6504.00.9015, 6504.00.9060, 6505.90.5090,

6505.90.6090, 6505.90.7090, 6505.90.8090 (Category 659-H);

6112.31.0010, 6112.31.0020, 6112.41.0010, 6112.41.0020, 6112.41.0030,

6112.41.0040, 6211.11.1010, 6211.11.1020, 6211.12.1010 and

6211.12.1020 (Category 659-S).

\14\ Category 347-W: only HTS numbers 6203.19.1020, 6203.19.9020,

6203.22.3020, 6203.22.3030, 6203.42.4005, 6203.42.4010, 6203.42.4015,

6203.42.4025, 6203.42.4035, 6203.42.4045, 6203.42.4050, 6203.42.4060,

6203.49.8020, 6210.40.9033, 6211.20.1520, 6211.20.3810 and

6211.32.0040; Category 348-W: only HTS numbers 6204.12.0030,

6204.19.8030, 6204.22.3040, 6204.22.3050, 6204.29.4034, 6204.62.3000,

6204.62.4005, 6204.62.4010, 6204.62.4020, 6204.62.4030, 6204.62.4040,

6204.62.4050, 6204.62.4055, 6204.62.4065, 6204.69.6010, 6204.69.9010,

6210.50.9060, 6211.20.1550, 6211.20.6810, 6211.42.0030 and

6217.90.9050.

\15\ Category 640-Y: only HTS numbers 6205.30.2010, 6205.30.2020,

6205.30.2050 and 6205.30.2060.

\16\ Category 647-W: only HTS numbers 6203.23.0060, 6203.23.0070,

6203.29.2030, 6203.29.2035, 6203.43.2500, 6203.43.3500, 6203.43.4010,

6203.43.4020, 6203.43.4030, 6203.43.4040, 6203.49.1500, 6203.49.2015,

6203.49.2030, 6203.49.2045, 6203.49.2060, 6203.49.8030, 6210.40.5030,

6211.20.1525, 6211.20.3820 and 6211.33.0030; Category 648-W: only HTS

numbers 6204.23.0040, 6204.23.0045, 6204.29.2020, 6204.29.2025,

6204.29.4038, 6204.63.2000, 6204.63.3000, 6204.63.3510, 6204.63.3530,

6204.63.3532, 6204.63.3540, 6204.69.2510, 6204.69.2530, 6204.69.2540,

6204.69.2560, 6204.69.6030, 6204.69.9030, 6210.50.5035, 6211.20.1555,

6211.20.6820, 6211.43.0040 and 6217.90.9060.

\17\ Category 641-Y: only HTS numbers 6204.23.0050, 6204.29.2030,

6206.40.3010 and 6206.40.3025.

The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to

the current bilateral agreement concerning imports of textile and

apparel products from Taiwan.

Products in the above categories exported during 1998 shall be

charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see

directive dated December 22, 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.

These limits may be revised if Taiwan becomes a member of the

World Trade Organization (WTO) and the WTO agreement is applied to

Taiwan.

The conversion factors are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Conversion factors (square

Category meters equivalent/category

unit)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

300/301/607............................... 8.5

333/334/335............................... 33.75

352/652................................... 11.3

359-C/659-C............................... 10.1

359-H/659-H............................... 11.5

369-L/670-L/870........................... 3.8

633/634/635............................... 34.1

638/639................................... 12.5

------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 to the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1).

Sincerely,

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements.

[FR Doc. 98-33128 Filed 12-14-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F