[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 25 (Tuesday, March 2, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 DESIGNATION OF AND TERMINATION OF DESIGNATION OF CERTAIN COUNTRIES AS 
  BENEFICIARY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES--MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE 
                  UNITED STATES (H. DOC. NO. 108-166)

  The SPEAKER pro tempore 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:
  Consistent with section 502(f) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended 
(the ``Act''), I am writing to inform you of my intent to designate 
Algeria as a beneficiary developing country and to terminate the 
designation of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahrain, the Czech 
Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia as 
beneficiary developing countries for purposes of the Generalized System 
of Preferences (GSP).
  I have considered the criteria set forth in sections 501 and 502 of 
the Act. In light of these criteria, I have determined that it is 
appropriate to extend GSP benefits to Algeria. I have also determined 
that Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, and Bahrain have become ``high 
income'' countries, and I therefore terminate their designation as 
beneficiary developing countries effective January 1, 2006. 
Furthermore, consistent with the Act's prohibition on designation of 
European Union member states as beneficiary developing countries, I am 
terminating such designation for the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, 
Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia when they become European Union 
member states.
                                                      George W. Bush.  
The White House, March 1, 2004.

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