Announcement of an Import Limit for Certain Wool Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Russia

AGENCY:

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION:

Issuing a directive to the Commissioner of Customs establishing a limit.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

January 1, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Naomi Freeman, International Trade Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-4212. 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 (202) 927-5850, or refer to the U.S. Customs Web site 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, effected by exchange of notes dated August 13, 1996 and September 9, 1996, as amended on February 26, 2001, and April 30, 2001, between the Governments of the United States and the Russian Federation establishes a limit for wool textile products in Category 435 for the period January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003.

In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the Commissioner of Customs to establish the limit for the period January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003.

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

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 availability of the 2003 CORRELATION will be published in the Federal Register at a later date.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

November 1, 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, effected by exchange of notes dated August 13, 1996 and September 9, 1996, as amended on February 26, 2001, and April 30, 2001, between the Governments of the United States and the Russian Federation, 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 Category 435, produced or manufactured in Russia and exported during the period beginning on January 1, 2003 and extending through December 31, 2003, in excess of 57,435 dozen.

Products in the above category exported during 2002 shall be charged to the applicable category limit for that year (see directive dated November 23, 2001) to the extent of any unfilled balance. In the event the limit established for that period has been exhausted by previous entries, such products shall be charged to the limit set forth in this directive.

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

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 this action falls 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.