Establishment of an Import Limit for Certain Cotton and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Cambodia

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Establishment of an Import Limit for Certain Cotton and Man-Made

Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Cambodia

February 9, 1998.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing

a limit.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: February 18, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Helen L. LeGrande, 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) 927-5850. For information on

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

on categories on which consultations have been requested, call (202)

482-3740.

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.

A notice published in the Federal Register on November 21, 1997 (62

FR 62290) announces that if no solution is agreed upon in consultations

between the Governments of the United States and Cambodia on Categories

331/631 the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements may

establish a limit for the twelve-month period beginning on October 29,

1997 and extending through October 28, 1998 at a level of not less than

1,250,841 dozen pairs.

Inasmuch as no agreement was reached during consultations on a

mutually satisfactory solution, the United States Government has

decided to control imports in Categories 331/631 for the period October

29, 1997 through October 28, 1998, as authorized by Section 204 of the

Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854).

The United States remains committed to finding a solution

concerning Categories 331/631. Should such a solution be reached in

consultations with the Government of Cambodia, further notice will be

published in the Federal Register.

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).

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

February 9, 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); and Executive Order 11651

of March 3, 1972, as amended, you are directed to prohibit,

effective on February 18, 1998, entry into the United States for

consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of cotton

and man-made fiber textile products in Categories 331/631, produced

or manufactured in Cambodia and exported during the twelve-month

period beginning on October 29, 1997 and extending through October

28, 1998, in excess of 1,250,841 dozen pairs \1\.

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\1\ The limit has not been adjusted to account for any imports

exported after October 28, 1997.

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Textile products in Categories 331/631 which have been exported

to the United States prior to October 29, 1997 shall not be subject

to this directive.

Textile products in Categories 331/631 which have been released

from the custody of the U.S. Customs Service under the provisions of

19 U.S.C. 1448(b) or 1484(a)(1) prior to the effective date of this

directive shall not be denied entry under this directive.

Import charges will be provided at a later date.

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 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. 98-3755 Filed 2-12-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F