[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 192 (Tuesday, November 2, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S7597]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE

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 TRANSMITTING NOTIFICATION OF THE PRESIDENT'S INTENT TO TERMINATE THE 
DESIGNATION OF THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA (ETHIOPIA), 
  THE REPUBLIC OF GUINEA (GUINEA), AND THE REPUBLIC OF MALI (MALI) AS 
BENEFICIARY SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN COUNTRIES UNDER THE AFRICAN GROWTH AND 
                     OPPORTUNITY ACT (AGOA)--PM 16

  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:
  In accordance with section 506A(a)(3)(B) of the Trade Act of 1974, as 
amended (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(3)(B)), I am providing advance notification 
of my intent to terminate the designation of the Federal Democratic 
Republic of Ethiopia (Ethiopia), the Republic of Guinea (Guinea), and 
the Republic of Mali (Mali) as beneficiary sub-Saharan African 
countries under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
  I am taking this step as Ethiopia, Guinea, and Mali are not in 
compliance with the eligibility requirements of section 104 of the 
AGOA--in Ethiopia, for gross violations of internationally recognized 
human rights; in Guinea, for not having established, or not making 
continual progress toward establishing, the protection of the rule of 
law and of political pluralism; and in Mali, for not having 
established, or not making continual progress toward establishing, the 
protection of the rule of law, political pluralism, and internationally 
recognized worker rights, and for not addressing gross violations of 
internationally recognized human rights.
  Despite intensive engagement between the United States and the 
Governments of Ethiopia, Guinea, and Mali, these governments have 
failed to address United States concerns about their noncompliance with 
the AGOA eligibility criteria.
  Accordingly, I intend to terminate the designation of Ethiopia, 
Guinea, and Mali as beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries under the 
AGOA as of January 1, 2022. I will continue to assess whether the 
Governments of Ethiopia, Guinea, and Mali are making continual progress 
toward meeting the AGOA eligibility requirements.
                                                Joseph R. Biden, Jr.,  
The White House, November 2, 2021.

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