[Federal Register: December 9, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 236)]
[Notices]
[Page 68597-68598]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09de03-54]
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COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS
Announcement of Import Limits for Certain Wool Textile Products
Produced or Manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
December 3, 2003.
AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).
ACTION: Issuing a directive to the Commissioner, Bureau of Customs and
Border Protection establishing limits.
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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2004.
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, call (202) 927-5850, or refer to the Bureau of
Customs and Border Protection Web site at http://www.customs.gov. For
information on embargoes and quota re-openings, refer to the Office of
Textiles and Apparel Web site at http://www.otexa.ita.doc.gov.
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 import restraint limits for textile products, produced or
manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and exported
during the period January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2004 are based
on limits notified to the Textiles Monitoring Body pursuant to the
Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC).
[[Page 68598]]
These limits do not apply to goods entered under the Outward
Processing Program, as defined in the notice and letter to the
Commissioner of Customs, published in the Federal Register on December
14, 1999 (see 64 FR 69746).
Any shipment for entry under the Outward Processing Program which
is not accompanied by valid certification in accordance with the
provisions established in the notice and letter to the Commissioner of
Customs, published in the Federal Register on December 14, 1999 (see 64
FR 69743), shall be denied entry. However, the Government of Macedonia
may authorize the entry and charges to the appropriate specific limits
by the issuance of a valid visa. Also see 63 FR 17156, published on
April 8, 1998.
In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the
Commissioner, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection to establish the
2004 limits.
These limits are subject to adjustment pursuant to the provisions
of the ATC and administrative arrangements notified to the Textiles
Monitoring Body. However, as the ATC and all restrictions thereunder
will terminate on January 1, 2005, no adjustment for carryforward
(borrowing from next year's limits for use in the current year) will be
available.
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 68 FR 1599, published on January 13, 2004). Information
regarding the 2004 CORRELATION will be published in the Federal
Register at a later date.
James C. Leonard III,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
December 3, 2003.
Commissioner,
Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, 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 Uruguay Round Agreement on
Textiles and Clothing (ATC), you are directed to prohibit, effective
on January 1, 2004, 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 twelve-month
period beginning on January 1, 2004 and extending through December
31, 2004, in excess of the following levels of restraint:
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Category Twelve-month limit
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433....................................... 23,414 dozen.
434....................................... 11,707 dozen.
435....................................... 31,955 dozen.
443....................................... 196,914 numbers.
448....................................... 70,241 dozen.
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The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to
the provisions of the ATC and administrative arrangements notified
to the Textiles Monitoring Body.
Products in the above categories exported during 2003 shall be
charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see
directive dated October 9, 2002) to the extent of any unfilled
balances. In the event the limits established for that period have
been exhausted by previous entries, such products shall be charged
to the limits set forth in this directive.
These limits do not apply to goods entered under the Outward
Processing Program, as defined in the letter to the Commissioner of
Customs, dated December 8, 1999 (see 64 FR 69746).
Any shipment for entry under the Outward Processing Program
which is not accompanied by a valid certification in accordance with
the provisions established in the letter to the Commissioner of
Customs, dated December 9, 1999 (see 64 FR 69743), shall be denied
entry. However, the Government of Macedonia may authorize the entry
and charges to the appropriate specific limits by the issuance of a
valid visa. Also see directive dated April 2, 1998, (63 FR 17156).
Any shipment which is declared for entry under the Outward
Processing Program but found not to qualify shall be denied entry
into the United States.
In carrying out the above directions, the Commissioner, Bureau
of Customs and Border Protection 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,
James C. Leonard III,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
[FR Doc. E3-00486 Filed 12-8-03; 8:45 am]