COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Amendment and Redesignation of Import Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textiles and Textile Products and Silk Blend and Other Vegetable Fiber Apparel Produced or Manufactured in the Philippines

September 16, 1998.

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


ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs increasing and amending the coverage of limits.

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 23, 1998.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet Heinzen, 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.


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.


In a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated August 19, 1998, the Governments of the United States and the Republic of the Philippines agreed to amend the coverage of Group II to include Categories 361, 369-S and 611 and to increase the 1998 Group II limit.

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). Also see 62 FR 64361, published on December 5, 1997.


Troy H. Cribb,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.


Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
September 16, 1998.

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 December 1, 1997, as corrected on December 23, 1997, by the Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That directive concerns imports of certain cotton, wool and man-made fiber textiles and textile products and silk blend and other vegetable fiber apparel, produced or manufactured in the Philippines and exported during the twelve-month period which began on January 1, 1998 and extends through December 31, 1998.

Effective on September 23, 1998, you are directed to amend the Group II designation to include the coverage of Categories 361, 369-S1and 611. Categories 361, 369-S and 611 shall be sublevels in Group II. Import charges already made to these categories shall be moved to Group II. The 1998 limit for Group II shall be increased to 190,612,355 square meters equivalent2

1Category 369-S: only HTS number 6307.10.2005.
2The limit has not been adjusted to account for any imports exported after December 31, 1997.

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. 98-0000 Filed 0-00-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F