E4-2367. Establishment of Import Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textiles and Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

September 20, 2004.

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, 2005.

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.cbp.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 July 17, 2003, as amended on July 22, 2004, between the Governments of the United States and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, establishes limits for certain cotton, wool and man-made fiber textiles and textile products, produced or manufactured in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and exported during the period January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005.

Carryforward applied to the 2004 limits has been deducted from all categories. Any categories which did not use all carryforward in 2004 will be re-credited back the unused amount later in 2005.

In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the Commissioner, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection to establish the 2005 limits.

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

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 69 FR 4926, published on February 2, 2004). Information regarding the 2005 CORRELATION will be published in the Federal Register at a later date.

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

September 20, 2004.

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); and Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended, and the bilateral textile agreement of July 17, 2003, as amended on July 22, 2004, between the Governments of the United States and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, you are directed to prohibit, effective on January 1, 2005, entry into the United States for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of cotton, wool and man-made fiber textiles and textile products in the following categories, produced or manufactured in Vietnam and exported during the twelve-month period beginning on January 1, 2005 and extending through December 31, 2005 in excess of the following levels of restraint:

Category	Restraint limit
200	324,210 kilograms.
301	734,876 kilograms.
332	1,080,700 dozen pairs.
333	38,905 dozen.
334/335	697,247 dozen.
338/339	14,183,582 dozen.
340/640	2,146,505 dozen.
341/641	823,040 dozen.
342/642	583,796 dozen.
345	307,851 dozen.
347/348	7,199,151 dozen.
351/651	516,012 dozen.
352/652	1,965,906 dozen.
359-C/659-C 1	351,041 kilograms.
359-S/659-S 2	567,368 kilograms.
434	15,863 dozen.
435	39,138 dozen.
440	2,448 dozen.
447	50,919 dozen.
448	31,335 dozen.
620	6,877,575 square meters.
632	540,350 dozen pairs.
638/639	1,289,975 dozen.
645/646	208,578 dozen.
647/648	2,097,655 dozen.
1 Category 359-C: only HTS numbers 6103.42.2025, 6103.49.8034, 6104.62.1020, 6104.69.8010, 6114.20.0048, 6114.20.0052, 6203.42.2010, 6203.42.2090, 6204.62.2010, 6211.32.0010, 6211.32.0025 and 6211.42.0010; Category 659-C: only HTS numbers 6103.23.0055, 6103.43.2020, 6103.43.2025, 6103.49.2000, 6103.49.8038, 6104.63.1020, 6104.63.1030, 6104.69.1000, 6104.69.8014, 6114.30.3044, 6114.30.3054, 6203.43.2010, 6203.43.2090, 6203.49.1010, 6203.49.1090, 6204.63.1510, 6204.69.1010, 6210.10.9010, 6211.33.0010, 6211.33.0017 and 6211.43.0010.
2 Category 359-S: only HTS numbers 6112.39.0010, 6112.49.0010, 6211.11.8010, 6211.11.8020, 6211.12.8010 and 6211.12.8020; Category 659-S: only HTS numbers 6112.31.0010, 6112.31.0020, 6112.41.0010, 6112.41.0020, 6112.41.0030, 6112.41.0040, 6211.11.1010, 6211.11.1020, 6211.12.1010 and 6211.12.1020.

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

Products in the above categories exported during 2004 shall be charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see directive dated December 10, 2003) 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 may be revised if Vietnam becomes a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States applies the WTO agreement to Vietnam.

In carrying out the above directions, the Commissioner 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,

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.