00-24830. Adjustment of Import Limits and Increase of Guaranteed Access Levels for Certain Cotton and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in the Dominican Republic

September 21, 2000.

AGENCY:

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION:

Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs adjusting limits.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

September 28, 2000.

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, call [phone].

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 current limit for Categories 338/638 is being increased for the recrediting of special shift, reducing the limit for Categories 339/639 to account for the special shift being recredited.

Upon the request of the Government of the Dominican Republic, the U.S. Government has agreed to increase the current Guaranteed Access Levels for textile products in Categories 339/639 and 347/348/647/648.

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 64 FR 71982, published on December 22, 1999). Also see 64 FR 50495, published on September 17, 1999.

Richard B. Steinkamp,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

September 21, 2000.

Commissioner of Customs,

Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC 20229.

Dear Commissioner: This directive amends, but does not cancel, the directive issued to you on September 13, 1999, by the Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. That directive concerns imports of certain cotton, wool and man-made fiber textile products, produced or manufactured in the Dominican Republic and exported during the twelve-month period which began on January 1, 2000 and extends through December 31, 2000.

Effective on September 28, 2000, you are directed to adjust the current limits for the following categories, as provided for under the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing:

Category	Adjusted twelve-month limit 1
338/638	1,333,592 dozen.
339/639	1,191,907 dozen.
1 The limits have not been adjusted to account for any imports exported after December 31, 1999.

Also effective on September 28, 2000, you are directed to increase the Guaranteed Access Levels for the categories listed below for the period beginning on January 1, 2000 and extending through December 31, 2000.

Category	Guaranteed access level
339/639	5,150,000 dozen.
347/348/647/648	10,550,000 dozen.

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,

Richard B. Steinkamp,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.