[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 21 (Wednesday, January 31, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8440-8441]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-2602]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Determination Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States Trade Representative has determined that 
Mauritius has adopted an effective visa system and related procedures 
to prevent unlawful transshipment and the use of counterfeit documents 
in connection with shipments of textile and apparel articles and has 
implemented and follows, or is making substantial progress toward 
implementing and following, the customs procedures required by the 
African Growth and Opportunity Act. Therefore, imports of eligible 
products from Mauritius qualify for the enhanced trade benefits 
provided under the AGOA.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 19, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bethany Schwartz, Director for African 
Affairs, Office of the United States Trade Representative, (202) 395-
9514.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The African Growth and Opportunity Act 
(Title I of the Trade and Development Act of 2000, Public Law 106-200) 
(AGOA) provides preferential tariff treatment for imports of certain 
textile and apparel products of beneficiary sub-Saharan African 
countries. The textile and apparel trade benefits provided by the AGOA 
are available to imports of eligible products from countries that the 
President designates as ``beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries,'' 
provided that these countries (1) have adopted an effective visa system 
and related procedures to prevent unlawful transshipment and the use of 
counterfeit documents, and (2) have implemented and follow, or are 
making substantial progress toward implementing and following, certain 
customs procedures that assist the Customs Service in verifying the 
origin of the products.
    In Proclamation 7350 of October 2, 2000, the President designated 
34 countries as ``beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries.'' 
Proclamation 7350 delegated to the United States Trade Representative 
(USTR) the authority to determine whether these countries have met the 
two requirements described above. The President directed the USTR to 
announce any such determinations in the Federal Register and to 
implement them through modifications of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule 
of the United States (HTS). Based on actions that Mauritius has taken, 
I have determined that Mauritius has satisfied these two requirements.
    The AGOA also directs the President to eliminate the existing 
quotas on textile and apparel articles imported into the United States 
from Mauritius within 30 days after Mauritius adopts an effective visa 
system to prevent unlawful transshipment of textile and apparel 
articles and the use of counterfeit documents relating to the 
importation of such articles into the United States. Proclamation 7350 
delegated this responsibility to the USTR.
    Accordingly, pursuant to the authority vested in the USTR by 
Proclamation 7350, the HTS is modified as provided in Proclamation 7350 
and as specified in the Annex to this notice, effective with respect to 
articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or 
after January 19, 2001. Importers claiming preferential tariff 
treatment under the AGOA for entries of textile and apparel articles 
should ensure that those entries meet the applicable visa requirements. 
(The

[[Page 8441]]

visa requirements are described in a separate notice that is being 
published in the Federal Register.) By this notice, I direct the 
Customs Service to eliminate the existing quotas on textile and apparel 
articles imported into the United States from Mauritius within 30 days 
of the effective date of this notice.

Charlene Barshefsky,
United States Trade Representative.

Annex

    Pursuant to the authority provided in Proclamation 7350, the HTS 
is modified as follows:
    1. The text of U.S. note 7 to subchapter II of chapter 98, as 
established by the annex to such Proclamation, is modified by 
inserting in alphabetical sequence ``Mauritius'' in the list of 
countries.
    2. U.S. note 1 to subchapter XIX of chapter 98 of the HTS, as 
established by the annex to such Proclamation, is modified by 
inserting in alphabetical sequence ``Mauritius'' in the list of 
countries.

[FR Doc. 01-2602 Filed 1-30-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-U