COMMITTEE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE AGREEMENTS

Request for Public Comments on Bilateral Textile Consultations with El Salvador on Certain Cotton and Man-Made Fiber Textile Products

April 17, 1995.

AGENCY: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).


ACTION: Notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Aldrich, International Trade Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-4212. For information on categories for which consultations have been requested, call (202) 482-3740.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:


Authority: Executive Order 11651 of March 3, 1972, as amended; section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1854).


On March 27, 1995, under the terms of Section 204 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, as amended, the Government of the United States requested consultations with the Government of El Salvador with respect to cotton and man-made fiber pajamas and other nightwear in Categories 351/651 and cotton and man-made fiber underwear in Categories 352/652, produced or manufactured in El Salvador.

The purpose of this notice is to advise the public that, if no solution is agreed upon in consultations with the Government of El Salvador, the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements may later establish a limit for the entry and withdrawal from warehouse for consumption of textile products in Categories 351/651 and 352/652, produced or manufactured in El Salvador and exported during the twelve-month period which began on March 27, 1995 and extends through March 26, 1996, at levels of not less than 259,914 dozen, in the case of Categories 351/651; and 3,687,034 dozen, in the case of Categories 352/652.



Statements of serious damage concerning Categories 351/651 and 352/652 follow this notice.

Anyone wishing to comment or provide data or information regarding the treatment of Categories 351/651 and 352/652, or to comment on domestic production or availability of products included in Categories 351/651 and 352/652, is invited to submit 10 copies of such comments or information to Rita D. Hayes, Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230; ATTN: Helen L. LeGrande. The comments received will be considered in the context of the consultations with the Government of El Salvador.

Because the exact timing of the consultations is not yet certain, comments should be submitted promptly. Comments or information submitted in response to this notice will be available for public inspection in the Office of Textiles and Apparel, room H3100, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC.

Further comments may be invited regarding particular comments or information received from the public which the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements considers appropriate for further consideration.

The solicitation of comments regarding any aspect of the agreement or the implementation thereof is not a waiver in any respect of the exemption contained in 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1) relating to matters which constitute ``a foreign affairs function of the United States.''

The United States remains committed to finding a solution concerning Categories 351/651 and 352/652. Should such a solution be reached in consultations with the Government of El Salvador, further notice will be published in the Federal Register.

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 59 FR 65531, published on December 20, 1994).

Rita D. Hayes,
Chairman, Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.








Statement of Serious Damage_El Salvador
Cotton and Manmade Fiber Pajamas and Other Nightwear
Category 351/651
March 1995
Import Situation and Conclusion
U.S. imports of cotton and manmade fiber pajamas and other nightwear, Category 351/651, from El Salvador reached 259,914 dozen in 1994, 119 percent above the 118,550 dozen imported in 1993 and seven times its 1992 level. Imports from El Salvador were 2.3 percent of total U.S. imports of Category 351/651 in 1994, and were equivalent to 2.5 percent of U.S. production of Category 351/651 in the year ending September 1994.

U.S. imports of cotton and manmade fiber pajamas and other nightwear from El Salvador in Category 351/651, entered the U.S. at an average landed duty-paid value of $43.37 per dozen, 65 percent below U.S. producers' average price for cotton and manmade fiber pajamas and other nightwear.

The sharp and substantial increase of low valued Category 351/651 imports from El Salvador is causing serious damage to the U.S. industry producing cotton and manmade fiber pajamas and other nightwear.

U.S. Production, Import Penetration, and Market Share

U.S. production of cotton and manmade fiber pajamas and other nightwear, Category 351/651, fell from 11,639,000 dozen in 1992 to 10,442,000 dozen in 1993, a decline of 10 percent. Production continued to decline in 1994, falling to 7,620,000 dozen during the first nine months of 1994, 2 percent below the January September 1993 production level. In contrast U.S. imports of Category 351/651 surged from 9,347,000 dozen in 1992 to 10,832,000 dozen in 1993, a 16 percent increase. Cotton and manmade fiber pajamas and other nightwear, Category 351/651, imports continued to increase in 1994, reaching 11,406,000 dozen, 5 percent above the 1993 level and 22 percent above the 1992 level.

The ratio of imports to domestic production increased from 80 percent in 1992 to 104 percent in 1993, and reached 111 percent during January-September 1994. The share of the U.S. cotton and manmade fiber pajamas and other nightwear market held by domestic manufacturers fell from 55 percent in 1992 to 49 percent in 1993, a decline of six percentage points, and fell to 47 percent during the first nine months of 1994.





Statement of Serious Damage_El Salvador
Cotton and Manmade Fiber Underwear
Category 352/652
March 1995


Import Situation and Conclusion
U.S. imports of cotton and manmade fiber underwear, Category352/652, from El Salvador reached 3,687,034 dozen in 1994, 80 percent above the 2,053,364 dozen imported in 1993 and nearly five times its 1992 level. Imports from El Salvador were 3.8 percent of total U.S. imports of Category 352/652 in 1994, and were equivalent to 2.2 percent of U.S. production of Category 352/652 in the year ending September 1994.

U.S. imports of cotton and manmade fiber underwear, from El Salvador in Category 352/652, entered the U.S. at an average landed duty-paid value of $9.85 per dozen, 67 percent below U.S. producers' average price for cotton and manmade fiber underwear.

The sharp and substantial increase of low valued Category 352/652 imports from El Salvador is causing serious damage to the U.S. domestic industry producing cotton and manmade fiber underwear.

U.S. Production, Import Penetration, and Market Share
U.S. production of cotton and manmade fiber underwear, Category 352/652, declined from 175,542,000 dozen in 1992 to 168,802,000 dozen in 1993, a decline of 4 percent. Production continued to decline in 1994, falling to 126,962,000 dozen during the first nine months of 1994, 4 percent below January-September 1993 production level. In contrast imports of Category 352/652 surged from 65,507,000 dozen in 1992 to 79,962,000 dozen in 1993, a 22 percent increase. Cotton and manmade fiber underwear, Category 352/652, imports continued to increase in 1994, reaching 97,375,000 dozen, 22 percent above the 1993 level and 49 percent above the level imported in 1992.

The ratio of imports to domestic production increased from 37 percent in 1992 to 47 percent in 1993, and reached 54 percent during January-September 1994. The share of this market held by domestic manufacturers fell from 73 percent in 1992 to 68 percent in 1993, a decline of five percentage points. The domestic market share dropped to 65 percent during the first nine months of 1994.

[FR Doc. 95-0000 Filed 0-00-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-F