02-26315. Announcement of Import Limits for Certain Wool Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

October 9, 2002.

AGENCY:

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION:

Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing limits.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

January 1, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Naomi Freeman, International Trade Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, [phone]. 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 [phone], or refer to the U.S. Customs website at http://www.customs.gov. For information on embargoes and quota re-openings, refer to the Office of Textiles and Apparel website at http://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 Bilateral Textile Agreement of November 7, 1997, as amended and extended by exchange of notes on June 22, 2000 and July 5, 2000, between the Governments of the United States and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia establishes limits for certain wool textile products, produced or manufactured in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and exported during the period January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003.

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 of Customs to establish the 2003 limits.

These limits may be revised if the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia becomes a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO agreement to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

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 66 FR 65178, published on December 18, 2001). Information regarding the 2003 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

October 9, 2002.

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 of November 7, 1997, as amended and extended by exchange of notes on June 22, 2000 and July 5, 2000, between the Governments of the United States and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, you are directed to prohibit, effective on January 1, 2003, 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 January 1, 2003 and extending through December 31, 2003, in excess of the following levels of restraint:

Category	Twelve-month limit
433	22,744 dozen.
434	11,372 dozen.
435	31,041 dozen.
443	191,282 numbers.
448	68,232 dozen.

The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to the current bilateral agreement between the Governments of the United States and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Products in the above categories exported during 2002 shall be charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see directive dated November 27, 2001) 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.

These limits may be revised if the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia becomes a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO agreement to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

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,

James C. Leonard III,

Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.