Establishment of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Cambodia

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Establishment of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool

and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in

Cambodia

February 1, 1999.

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: February 10, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roy Unger, 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)

[[Page 6051]]

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.

Pursuant to the bilateral textile agreement of January 20, 1999,

the Governments of the United States and Cambodia agreed to limits for

certain cotton, wool and man-made fiber textile products, produced or

manufactured in Cambodia and exported to the United States during three

one-year periods beginning on January 1, 1999 and extending through

December 31, 2001. This directive cancels and supersedes the previous

limits for Categories 331/631 set forth in Federal Register notice 63

FR 57666 published on October 28, 1998; and 338/339 and 345 set forth

in Federal Register notice 63 FR 71620 published on December 29, 1998.

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

Commissioner of Customs to establish the 1999 limits.

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

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

agreement to Cambodia. limits.

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).

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

February 1, 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); and Executive Order 11651

of March 3, 1972, as amended; and the Bilateral Textile Agreement of

January 20, 1999 between the Governments of the United States and

Cambodia. This directive cancels and supersedes the directives

issued to you on October 22, 1998 and December 22, 1998, by the

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

These directives concern imports of certain cotton and man-made

fiber textile products, produced or manufactured in Cambodia and

exported during the period which began on October 29, 1998 and

extends through October 28, 1999 (Categories 331/631) and the period

which began on October 28, 1998 and extends through October 27, 1999

(Categories 338/339 and 345).

Furthermore, you are directed to prohibit, effective on February

10, 1999, entry into the United States for consumption and

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

made fiber textile products in the following categories, produced or

manufactured in Cambodia and exported during the twelve-month period

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

1999, in excess of the following levels of restraint:

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Category Twelve-month limit \1\

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331/631................................... 1,550,000 dozen pairs.

334/634................................... 170,000 dozen.

335/635................................... 65,000 dozen.

338/339................................... 2,500,000 dozen.

340/640................................... 750,000 dozen.

345....................................... 94,000 dozen.

347/348/647/648........................... 3,000,000 dozen.

352/652................................... 600,000 dozen.

438....................................... 90,000 dozen.

445/446................................... 110,000 dozen.

638/639................................... 900,000 dozen.

645/646................................... 250,000 dozen.

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

exported after December 31, 1998.

The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to

the current bilateral agreement between the Governments of the

United States and Cambodia.

Textile products in the above categories which have been

exported to the United States prior to January 1, 1999 shall not be

subject to this directive.

Textile products in those same categories which have been

released from the custody of the U.S. Customs Service nunder 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.

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

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

agreement to Cambodia.

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 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. 99-2879 Filed 2-5-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F