[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 30, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H5176]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TO MODIFY DUTY-FREE TREATMENT UNDER GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES--MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cooksey) laid before the House the 
following message from the President of the United States; which was 
read and, together with the accompanying papers, without objection, 
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means and ordered to be printed:
To the Congress of the United States:
  The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) offers duty-free 
treatment to specified products that are imported from designated 
beneficiary developing countries. The GSP is authorized by title V of 
the Trade Act of 1974, as amended.
  I have determined, based on a consideration of the eligibility 
criteria in title V, that Gabon and Mongolia should be added to the 
list of beneficiary developing countries under the GSP.
  I have also determined that the suspension of preferential treatment 
for Mauritania as a beneficiary developing country under the GSP, as 
reported in my letters to the Speaker of the House and President of the 
Senate of June 25, 1993, should be ended. I had determined to suspend 
Mauritania from the GSP because Mauritania had not taken or was not 
taking steps to afford internationally recognized worker rights. I have 
determined that circumstances in Mauritania have changed and that, 
based on a consideration of the eligibility criteria in title V, 
preferential treatment under the GSP for Mauritania as a least-
developed beneficiary developing country should be restored.
  This message is submitted in accordance with the requirements of 
title V of the Trade Act of 1974.
                                                  William J. Clinton.  
  The White House, June 30, 1999.

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