Announcement of an Import Limit for Certain Wool Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Russia

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Announcement of an Import Limit for Certain Wool Textile Products

Produced or Manufactured in Russia

September 13, 1999.

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: January 1, 2000.

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 this

limit, 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 notes

dated August 13, 1996 and September 9, 1996, as amended, between the

Governments of the United States and the Russian Federation establishes

a limit for wool textile products in Category 435 for the period

January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2000.

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

Commissioner of Customs to establish the limit for 2000.

This limit may be revised if Russia becomes a member of the World

Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO

agreement to Russia.

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).

Information regarding the 2000 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

September 13, 1999.

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 notes dated August 13, 1996 and September 9,

1996, as amended, between the Governments of the United States and

the Russian Federation, you are directed to prohibit, effective on

January 1, 2000, entry into the United States for consumption and

withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of wool textile products

in Category 435, produced or manufactured in Russia and exported

during the twelve-month period beginning on January 1, 2000 and

extending through December 31, 2000, in excess of 54,122 dozen.

The limit set forth above is subject to adjustment pursuant to

the current bilateral agreement between the Governments of the

United States and the Russian Federation.

Products in the above category exported during 1999 shall be

charged to the applicable category limit for that year (see

directive dated December 14, 1998) to the extent of any unfilled

balance. In the event the limit established for that period has been

exhausted by previous entries, such products shall be charged to the

limit set forth in this directive.

This limit may be revised if Russia becomes a member of the

World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO

agreement to Russia.

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.99-24247 Filed 9-16-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F