[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 132 (Monday, July 10, 2000)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 42595-42596]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17571]



[[Page 42593]]

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Part XI





The President





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Proclamation 7328--To Amend the Generalized System of Preferences
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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 132 / Monday, July 10, 2000 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 42595]]

                Proclamation 7328 of July 6, 2000

                
To Amend the Generalized System of Preferences

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                1. Section 502(c)(7) of the Trade Act of 1974, as 
                amended (the ``Trade Act'') (19 U.S.C. 2462(c)(7)), 
                provides that, in determining whether to designate any 
                country a beneficiary developing country under this 
                section, the President shall take into account whether 
                that country has taken or is taking steps to afford 
                internationally recognized worker rights to workers in 
                that country. Section 502(d)(1) of the Trade Act (19 
                U.S.C. 2462(d)(1)) provides that the President may 
                withdraw, suspend, or limit the application of duty-
                free treatment under the Generalized System of 
                Preferences (GSP) with respect to any designated 
                beneficiary developing country based on consideration 
                of the factors set forth in sections 501 and 502(c) of 
                the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2461 and 2462(c)). Section 
                502(f)(2) of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2462(f)(2)) 
                requires the President to notify the Congress and the 
                affected country, at least 60 days before termination, 
                of the President's intention to terminate the affected 
                country's designation as a beneficiary developing 
                country for purposes of the GSP.

                2. Section 502(e) of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2462(e)) 
                provides that the President shall terminate the 
                designation of a country as a beneficiary developing 
                country if the President determines that such country 
                has become a ``high income'' country as defined by the 
                official statistics of the International Bank for 
                Reconstruction and Development. Termination is 
                effective on January 1 of the second year following the 
                year in which such determination is made.

                3. Pursuant to section 502(d) of the Trade Act, and 
                having considered the factors set forth in sections 501 
                and 502(c), I have determined that it is appropriate to 
                suspend Belarus's GSP benefits because it has not taken 
                and is not taking steps to afford workers in that 
                country internationally recognized worker rights. In 
                order to reflect the suspension of benefits under the 
                GSP for articles imported from Belarus, I have 
                determined that it is appropriate to modify general 
                note 4(a) of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
                United States (HTS).

                4. Pursuant to section 502(e) of the Trade Act, I have 
                determined that Malta, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, 
                and Slovenia meet the definition of a ``high income'' 
                country as defined by the official statistics of the 
                International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. 
                Accordingly, pursuant to section 502(e) of the Trade 
                Act, I am terminating the preferential treatment under 
                the GSP for articles that are currently eligible for 
                such treatment and that are imported from Malta, French 
                Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Slovenia, effective 
                January 1, 2002.

                5. Section 604 of the Trade Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 
                2483), authorizes the President to embody in the HTS 
                the substance of the relevant provisions of that Act, 
                and of other Acts affecting import treatment, and 
                actions thereunder.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, acting under the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States of America, including but not limited to 
                Title V and section 604 of the Trade Act, do proclaim 
                that:

[[Page 42596]]

                    (1) In order to reflect the suspension of benefits 
                under the GSP with respect to Belarus, general note 
                4(a) of the HTS is modified by deleting ``Belarus'' 
                from the list of independent countries, effective with 
                respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from 
                warehouse for consumption, on or after 60 days after 
                the date of publication of this proclamation in the 
                Federal Register.
                    (2) In order to terminate the designation of Malta, 
                French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Slovenia as 
                beneficiary developing countries under the GSP, general 
                note 4(a) of the HTS is modified by:
                      (a) deleting ``Malta'' and ``Slovenia'' from the 
                list of independent countries, and
                      (b) deleting ``French Polynesia'' and ``New 
                Caledonia'' from the list of nonindependent countries 
                and territories, effective with respect to articles 
                entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, 
                on or after January 1, 2002.
                    (3) Any provisions of previous proclamations and 
                Executive Orders that are inconsistent with the actions 
                taken in this proclamation are superseded to the extent 
                of such inconsistency.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand, and of the Independence of the United States 
                of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 00-17571
Filed 7-7-00; 10:39 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P