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

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Adjustment of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton, Man-

Made Fiber, Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Textiles and Textile

Products Produced or Manufactured in Thailand

April 21, 1999.

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

ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs reducing

limits.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: May 4, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ross Arnold, 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 current limits for certain categories are being reduced for

carryforward used 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 63 FR 71096, published on December 23, 1998). Also see

63 FR 58369, published on October 30, 1998.

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile

Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

April 21, 1999.

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 27, 1998, by the Chairman,

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That

directive concerns imports of certain cotton, wool, man-made fiber,

silk blend and other vegetable fiber textiles and textile products,

produced or manufactured in Thailand and exported during the period

which began on January 1, 1999 and extends through December 31,

1999.

Effective on May 4, 1999, you are directed to reduce the limits

for the following categories, as provided for under the Uruguay

Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing:

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

Adjusted twelve-month limit

Category \1\

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Levels in Group I

200....................................... 1,282,774 kilograms.

363....................................... 21,589,272 numbers.

369-D \2\................................. 237,200 kilograms.

603....................................... 2,301,579 kilograms.

619....................................... 7,465,454 square meters.

620....................................... 7,357,099 square meters.

Sublevels in Group II

338/339................................... 1,932,196 dozen.

345....................................... 327,069 dozen.

347/348/847............................... 859,352 dozen.

638/639................................... 2,269,173 dozen.

647/648................................... 1,202,106 dozen.

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

exported after December 31, 1998.

\2\ Category 369-D: only HTS numbers 6302.60.0010, 6302.91.0005 and

6302.91.0045.

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. 99-10828 Filed 4-29-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F