[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 142 (Wednesday, September 30, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S7046]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




NOTIFICATION OF THE PRESIDENT'S INTENT TO TERMINATE THE DESIGNATION OF 
   SEYCHELLES AS A BENEFICIARY SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN COUNTRY UNDER THE 
        AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY ACT (AGOA) PROGRAM--PM 25

  The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the President of the United States which was referred to the 
Committee on Finance:

To the Congress of the United States:
  I am providing notification of my intent to terminate the designation 
of Seychelles as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country under the 
African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) program.
  Section 506A(a)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the ``1974 
Act'') (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(1)) authorizes the President to designate a 
country listed in section 107 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3706) as a 
beneficiary sub-Saharan African country eligible for the benefits 
described in section 506A(b) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2466a(b)), if 
the President determines that the country meets the eligibility 
requirements in section 104 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3703), subject to 
the authority granted to the President under subsections (a), (d), and 
(e) of section 502 of the 1974 Act.
  Pursuant to section 502(e) of the 1974 Act, I have determined that 
Seychelles has become a ``high income'' country and its designation as 
a beneficiary sub-Saharan country is no longer within the authority 
granted to the President under section 502 of the 1974 Act. 
Accordingly, pursuant to section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
2466a(a)(1)), I have determined that Seychelles is no longer eligible 
for benefits as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for the 
purpose of section 506A of the 1974 Act, effective January 1, 2017.
                                                        Barack Obama.  
The White House, September 30, 2015.

                          ____________________