Announcement of Import Restraint Limits for Certain Cotton, Wool and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products Produced or Manufactured in the Federative Republic of Brazil

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 import restraint limits for textile products, produced or manufactured in Brazil and exported during the period January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2000 are based on limits notified to the Textiles Monitoring Body pursuant to the Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC). In the letter published below, the Chairman of CITA directs the Commissioner of Customs to establish the 2000 limits. 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 63 FR 71096, published on December 23, 1998). Information regarding the 2000 CORRELATION will be published in the Federal Register at a later date. Troy H. Cribb, Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements October 21, 1999.

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 Uruguay Round Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC), you are directed to prohibit, effective on January 1, 2000, entry into the United States for consumption and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of cotton, wool and man- made fiber textile products in the following categories, produced or manufactured in Brazil and exported during the twelve-month period beginning on January 1, 2000 and extending through December 31, 2000, in excess of the following levels of restraint:

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Category Twelve-month restraint limit ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Aggregate Limit 200-227, 237, 239pt. \1\, 300-326, 331- 591,553,474 square meters 348, 350-352, 359pt. \2\, 360-363, 369-D equivalent. \3\, 369pt. \4\, 400-431, 433-438, 440- 448, 459pt. \5\, 464, 469pt. \6\, 600- 629, 631, 633-652, 659pt. \7\, 666, 669-P \8\, 669pt. \9\ and 670, as a group. Sublevels within the aggregate 218....................................... 7,350,735 square meters. 219....................................... 26,836,716 square meters. 225....................................... 12,863,788 square meters. 300/301................................... 9,969,289 kilograms. 313....................................... 61,733,128 square meters. 314....................................... 10,107,264 square meters. 315....................................... 30,321,791 square meters. 317/326................................... 27,565,262 square meters. 334/335................................... 197,806 dozen. 336....................................... 109,894 dozen. 338/339/638/639........................... 1,978,068 dozen. 342/642................................... 582,430 dozen. 347/348................................... 1,428,604 dozen. 350....................................... 221,635 dozen. 361....................................... 1,494,539 numbers. 363....................................... 31,897,074 numbers. 369-D..................................... 712,414 kilograms. 410/624................................... 14,701,474 square meters of which not more than 2,775,267 square meters shall be in Category 410. 433....................................... 19,265 dozen. 445/446................................... 75,470 dozen. 604....................................... 697,850 kilograms of which not more than 533,358 kilograms shall be in Category 604-A \10\. 607....................................... 6,480,040 kilograms. 647/648................................... 659,357 dozen. 669-P..................................... 2,374,718 kilograms. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ \1\ Category 239pt.: only HTS number 6209.20.5040 (diapers). \2\ Category 359pt.: all HTS numbers except 6406.99.1550. \3\ Category 369-D: only HTS numbers 6302.60.0010, 6302.91.0005 and 6302.91.0045. \4\ Category 369pt.: all HTS numbers except 6302.60.0010, 6302.91.0005, 6302.91.0045 (Category 369-D); 5601.10.1000, 5601.21.0090, 5701.90.1020, 5701.90.2020, 5702.10.9020, 5702.39.2010, 5702.49.1020, 5702.49.1080, 5702.59.1000, 5702.99.1010, 5702.99.1090, 5705.00.2020 and 6406.10.7700. \5\ Category 459pt.: all HTS numbers except 6405.20.6030, 6405.20.6060, 6405.20.6090, 6406.99.1505 and 6406.99.1560. \6\ Category 469pt.: all HTS numbers except 5601.29.0020, 5603.94.1010 and 6406.10.9020. \7\ Category 659pt.: all HTS numbers except 6406.99.1510 and 6406.99.1540. \8\ Category 669-P: only HTS numbers 6305.32.0010, 6305.32.0020, 6305.33.0010, 6305.33.0020 and 6305.39.0000. \9\ Category 669pt.: all HTS numbers except 6305.32.0010, 6305.32.0020, 6305.33.0010, 6305.33.0020, 6305.39.0000 (Category 669-P); 5601.10.2000, 5601.22.0090, 5607.49.3000, 5607.50.4000 and 6406.10.9040. \10\ Category 604-A: only HTS number 5509.32.0000.

The limits set forth above are subject to adjustment pursuant to the provisions of the ATC and administrative arrangements notified to the Textiles Monitoring Body. Products in the above categories exported during 1999 shall be charged to the applicable category limits for that year (see directive dated November 12, 1998) 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. The conversion factor for merged Categories 338/339/638/639 is 10 (square meters equivalent/category unit). 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, Troy H. Cribb, Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements. [FR Doc. 99-28071 Filed 10-26-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F