E3-00557. Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Wool Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Ukraine

December 10, 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.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

January 1, 2004.

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 Bureau of Customs and Border Protection website 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://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 July 22, 1998, as amended and extended by exchange of notes on September 19, 2000 and January 15, 2001, between the Governments of the United States and Ukraine establishes limits for certain wool textile products, produced or manufactured in Ukraine and exported during the period beginning on January 1, 2004 and extending through December 31, 2004.

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 may be revised if Ukraine becomes a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO agreement to Ukraine.

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, 2003). Information regarding the availability of 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 10, 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 Bilateral Textile Agreement of July 22, 1998, as amended and extended by exchange of notes on September 19, 2000 and January 15, 2001, between the Governments of the United States and Ukraine, 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 Ukraine 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:

Category	Twelve-month limit
435	101,468 dozen.
442	16,892 dozen.
444	73,201 numbers.
448	73,201 dozen.

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

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

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.

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.