For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 13, 2003
A Proclamation: To Modify Duty-Free Treatment
By the President of the United States of America
Pursuant to section 502 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the
"1974 Act") (19 U.S.C. 2462), the President is authorized to designate
countries as beneficiary developing countries, and to designate any
beneficiary developing country as a least-developed beneficiary
developing country, for purposes of the Generalized System of
Preferences (GSP).
Pursuant to section 503(c)(1) of title V of the 1974 Act (19
U.S.C. 2463(c)(1)), the President may withdraw, suspend, or limit the
application of duty-free treatment accorded under this title with
respect to any article.
Section 503(d)(5) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(d)(5)) provides
that any waiver granted under section 503(d) of the 1974 Act (19
U.S.C. 2463(d)) shall remain in effect until the President determines
that such waiver is no longer warranted due to changed circumstances.
Section 506A(b)(1) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2466a(b)(1))
authorizes the President to provide duty-free treatment for any article
described in section 503(b)(1)(B) through (G) of the 1974 Act (19
U.S.C. 2463(b)(1)(B) -(G)) that is the growth, product, or manufacture
of a designated beneficiary sub-Saharan African country, if, after
receiving the advice of the United States International Trade
Commission (USITC), the President determines that such article is not
import-sensitive in the context of imports from beneficiary sub-Saharan
African countries.
Pursuant to section 502 of the 1974 Act, and taking into account
the factors set forth in section 502(c) (19 U.S.C. 2462(c)), I have
decided to designate Afghanistan as a beneficiary developing country
for purposes of the GSP.
Pursuant to section 502 of the 1974 Act, and having considered the
factors set forth in sections 501 and 502(c), I have also decided to
designate Afghanistan as a least-developed beneficiary developing
country for purposes of the GSP.
Pursuant to section 503(c)(1) of the 1974 Act, and having
considered the factors set forth in sections 501 and 502(c), I have
determined to withdraw the application of duty-free treatment under the
GSP accorded to a certain article from Chile.
Pursuant to section 503(d)(5), I have determined that the waiver
granted under section 503(d) to Chile for a certain article is no
longer warranted due to changed circumstances.
Pursuant to section 506A(b)(1) of the 1974 Act, and having received
the advice of the USITC, I have determined that a certain article is
not import-sensitive in the context of imports from beneficiary
sub-Saharan African countries. I have decided to provide duty-free
treatment to this article when imported from any beneficiary
sub-Saharan African country.
Section 604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2483), authorizes the
President to embody in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United
States (HTS) the substance of the relevant provisions of that Act, and
of other acts affecting import treatment, and actions thereunder,
including the removal, modification, continuance, or imposition of any
rate of duty or other import restriction.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States
of America, acting under the authority vested in me by the Constitution
and the laws of the United States of America, including title V and
section 604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2461-7, 2483), do proclaim
that:
(1) In order to reflect in the HTS the addition of Afghanistan as
a beneficiary developing country and as a least-developed beneficiary
developing country under the GSP, and the withdrawal of duty-free
treatment under the GSP accorded to a certain article from Chile,
general note 4 to the HTS is modified as provided in section A of the
Annex to this proclamation.
(2) In order to provide duty-free treatment for a certain article
when imported from a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country, the HTS
is modified by amending and sub-dividing the nomenclature of an
existing HTS subheading as provided in section B of the Annex to this
proclamation.
(3) In order to provide that Chile should not be treated as a
beneficiary developing country with respect to a certain eligible
article for purposes of the GSP, the Rates of Duty 1-Special subcolumn
for the HTS subheading enumerated in section C of the Annex to this
proclamation is modified as provided in such section.
(4) A waiver of the application of section 503(c)(2) of the 1974
Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(c)(2)) previously granted to Chile for HTS
subheading 0811.20.20 shall be terminated on the date of publication of
this proclamation in the Federal Register
(5) Any provisions of previous proclamations and Executive Orders
that are inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation are
superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.
(6) (a) The modifications made by section A of the Annex to this
proclamation shall be effective with respect to articles entered, or
withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the dates set
forth in that section.
(b) The modifications made by section B of the Annex to this
proclamation shall be effective with respect to articles entered, or
withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the fifteenth day
after the date of publication of this proclamation in the Federal
Register.
(c) The modifications made by section C of the Annex to this
proclamation shall be effective with respect to articles entered, or
withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the thirtieth day
after the date of publication of this proclamation in the Federal
Register.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of
January, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-seventh.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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