[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 30, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S7926]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PROCLAMATION TO MODIFY DUTY-FREE TREATMENT UNDER THE GENERALIZED SYSTEM 
  OF PREFERENCES RELATIVE TO GABON, MONGOLIA, AND MAURITANIA; TO THE 
        COMMITTEE ON FINANCE--MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT--PM 45

  The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the President of the United States, together with an accompanying 
report; which was referred to the Committee on Finance.

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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