[House Document 115-168]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




115th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 115-
168




 
 TERMINATION OF MAURITANIA AS BENEFICIARY UNDER THE AFRICAN GROWTH AND 
                            OPPORTUNITY ACT

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                     THEPRESIDENTOFTHEUNITEDSTATES

                              transmitting

NOTIFICATION OF THE INTENT TO TERMINATE THE DESIGNATION OF THE ISLAMIC 
  REPUBLIC OF MAURITANIA AS A BENEFICIARY SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN COUNTRY 
  UNDER THE AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY ACT AS OF JANUARY 1, 2019, 
 PURSUANT TO 19 U.S.C. 2466a(c)(2); PUBLIC LAW 93-618, SEC. 506A(c)(2) 
    (AS ADDED BY PUBLIC LAW 114-27, SEC. 105(b)(2)); (129 STAT. 366)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]










  November 6, 2018.--Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means and 
                         ordered to be printed
                         
                              ______
                              
                U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 
			 
089-011                WASHINGTON : 2018





                         
                         
                         
                                           The White House,
                                      Washington, November 2, 2018.
Hon. Paul D. Ryan,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Speaker: In accordance with section 506A(c)(2) of 
the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2466a(c)(2)), I am 
providing notice of my intent to terminate the designation of 
the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (Mauritania) as a 
beneficiary sub-Saharan African country under the African 
Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
    I am taking this step because I have determined that the 
Government of Mauritania has not established, or is not making 
continual progress toward establishing, the protection of 
internationally recognized worker rights, as required by 
section 104 of the AGOA.
    In particular, Mauritania has made insufficient progress 
toward combating forced labor, specifically, the scourge of 
hereditary slavery. Despite intensive engagement with the 
United States, the Government of Mauritania has failed to meet 
critical required benchmarks to address these issues to date.
    Accordingly, I intend to terminate the designation of 
Mauritania as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country under 
the AGOA as of January 1, 2019. I will continue to assess 
whether the Government of Mauritania is making continual 
progress toward establishing the protection of internationally 
recognized worker rights for potential reinstatement of 
eligibility in accordance with the AGOA eligibility 
requirements.
           
           
           
           Sincerely,

                                                   Donald J. Trump.
                                                   
                                                   
                                                   

                                 [all]