[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 59 (Wednesday, March 27, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14761-14762]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-7374]


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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 (USTR) has determined 
that Ghana 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 (AGOA). Therefore, imports of 
eligible products from Ghana qualify for the textile and apparel 
benefits provided under the AGOA.

DATES: Effective March 20, 2002.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The AGOA (Title I of the Trade and 
Development Act of 2000, Pub. L. 106-

[[Page 14762]]

200) 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 (Oct. 2, 2000), the President designated Ghana 
as a ``beneficiary sub-Saharan African country.'' Proclamation 7350 
delegated to the United States Trade Representative the authority to 
determine whether designated 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 Ghana has taken, I have determined that 
Ghana 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 ``Ghana'' 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. 02-7374 Filed 3-26-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M