Establishment of Import Limits for Certain Wool Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Establishment of Import Limits for Certain Wool Textile Products

Produced or Manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

September 11, 1996.

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: October 1, 1996.

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 these

limits, 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended;

section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C.

1854).

In a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated August 1, 1996,

effected by exchange of notes dated August 6, 1996, the Governments of

the United States and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia agree

to establish limits for wool textile products in Categories 433, 434,

435, 443 and 448, produced or manufactured in the Former Yugoslav

Republic of Macedonia and exported during the period October 1, 1996

through December 31, 2000. The terms of the agreement shall be October

1, 1996 through December 31, 1997; January 1, 1998 through December 31,

1998; January 1, 1999 through December 31, 1999; January 1, 2000

through December 31, 2000.

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

Commissioner of Customs to cancel the current limit for Category 434

and establish limits for Categories 433, 434, 435, 443 and 448 for the

first agreement period.

These limits may be subject to revision pursuant to the Uruguay

Round Agreements Act and the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and

Clothing on the date that the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

becomes a member of the World Trade Organization.

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 60 FR 65299, published on December 19, 1995). Also see

61 FR 26165, published on May 24, 1996.

The letter to the Commissioner of Customs and the actions taken

pursuant to it are not designed to implement all of the provisions of

the MOU, but are designed to assist only in the implementation of

certain of its provisions.

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

September 11, 1996.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

Dear Commissioner: This directive cancels the directive issued

to you on May 21, 1996, by the Chairman, Committee for the

Implementation of Textile Agreements. That directive concerns

imports of wool textile prouducts in Category 434, produced or

manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and

exported during the twelve-month period which began on May 26, 1996

and extends through May 25, 1997.

Under the terms of section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956,

as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854); the Memorandum of Understanding dated

August 1, 1996, effected by exchange of notes dated August 6, 1996,

between the Governments of the United States and the Former Yugoslav

Republic of Macedonia; and in accordance with the provisions of

Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended, you are directed

to prohibit, effective on October 1, 1996, entry into the United

States for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption

of wool textile products in the following categories, produced or

manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and

exported during the period beginning on October 1, 1996 and

extending through December 31, 1997, in excess of the following

levels of restraint:

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Category Fifteen-month limit

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433....................................... 25,000 dozen.

434....................................... 12,500 dozen.

435....................................... 33,469 dozen.

443....................................... 206,250 numbers.

448....................................... 75,000 dozen.

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Textile products in the aforementioned categories which have

been exported to the United States prior to October 1, 1996 shall

not be subject to this directive.

Textile products in the aforementioned categories 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.

Should the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia become a member

of the World Trade Organization, the limits set forth above may be

subject to revision pursuant to the Uruguay Round Agreements Act and

the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing.

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,

Troy H. Cribb,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

[Doc.96-23688 Filed 9-16-96; 8:45 am]

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