[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 82 (Friday, April 27, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 21192]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10518]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Determinations 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 
Lesotho 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 Lesotho qualify for the enhanced trade benefits provided 
under the AGOA.

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 23, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bethany Schwartz, Director for Africa 
Trade Policy, 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, Pub. L. 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 under 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, including Lesotho, 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 
Lesotho has taken, I have determined that Lesotho has satisfied these 
two requirements.
    Accordingly, pursuant to the authority vested in the USTR by 
Proclamation 7350, U.S. note 7(a) to subchapter II of chapter 98 of the 
HTS and U.S. note 1 to subchapter XIX of chapter 98 of the HTS are each 
modified by inserting ``Lesotho'' in alphabetical sequence in the list 
of countries. The foregoing modifications to the HTS are effective with 
respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for 
consumption on or after the effective date of this notice. 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. See Visa Requirements Under the African 
Growth and Opportunity Act, 66 FR 7837 (2001).

Robert B. Zoellick,
United States Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 01-10518 Filed 4-26-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-P