01-2946. Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Wool Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Ukraine

January 30, 2001.

AGENCY:

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION:

Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing limits.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

February 5, 2001.

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.ustreas.gov. For information on embargoes and quota re-openings, refer to the Office of Textiles and Apparel website 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 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, 2001 and extending through December 31, 2001.

In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the Commissioner of Customs to establish the 2001 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 65 FR 82328, published on December 28, 2000).

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

January 30, 2001.

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 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 February 5, 2001, 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, 2001 and extending through December 31, 2001, in excess of the following levels of restraint:

Category	Twelve-month limit
435	95,615 dozen.
442	15,918 dozen.
444	68,979 numbers.
448	68,979 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 2000 shall be charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see directive dated September 13, 1999) 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 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,

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.