Adjustment of Import Limits for Certain Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in Belarus

AGENCY:

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

ACTION:

Issuing a directive to the Commissioner, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection adjusting limits.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

September 24, 2004.

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 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 current limits for certain categories are being adjusted for swing and carryover.

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). Also see 68 FR 70494, published on December 18, 2003; and 69 FR 10429, published on March 5, 2004.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

September 20, 2004.

Commissioner,

Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Washington, DC 20229.

Dear Commissioner: This directive amends, but does not cancel, the directives issued to you on December 12, 2003 and March 1, 2004, by the Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. These directives concern imports of certain wool and man-made fiber textile products, produced or manufactured in Belarus and exported during the twelve-month period which began on January 1, 2004 and extends through December 31, 2004.

Effective on September 24, 2004, you are directed to adjust the limits for the following categories, as provided for under the agreement between the Governments of the United States and Belarus dated January 10, 2003:

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has determined that these actions fall within the foreign affairs exception to the rulemaking provisions of 5 U.S.C.553(a)(1).

Sincerely,

D. Michael Hutchinson,

Acting Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.