[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 84 (Wednesday, May 1, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21794-21795]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-10664]


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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 Senegal 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 
towards implementing and following, the customs procedures required by 
the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Therefore, imports of 
eligible products from Senegal qualify for the textile and apparel 
benefits provided under the AGOA. In addition, this notice modifies the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) to add Swaziland 
to the list of ``lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African 
countries.''

DATES: Effective April 23, 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. No. 106-200) provides preferential 
tariff treatment for imports of certain textile and apparel products of 
``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 
Senegal as a ``beneficiary sub-Saharn 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 HTS. Based on actions that Senegal has taken, I 
have determined that Senegal has satisfied these two requirements.
    In Proclamation 7400 (Jan. 17, 2001), the President proclaimed 
Swaziland a lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African country 
for purposes of section 112(b)(3)(B) of the AGOA. Due to a technical 
error, Swaziland was not added to U.S. note 2(d) to subchapter XIX of 
chapter 98 of the HTS. USTR determined that Swaziland qualified for the 
textile and apparel benefits of the AGOA effective July 26, 2001. See 
66 FR 41648.
    According, 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 HSTS are 
each modified by inserting ``Senegal'' 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

[[Page 21795]]

meet the applicable visa requirements. See Visa Requirements Under the 
African Growth and Opportunity Act, 66 FR 7837 (2001).
    Further, U.S. note 2(d) to subchapter XIX of chapter 98 of the HTS 
is modified by inserting ``Swaziland'' in alphabetical sequence in the 
list of countries. This modification to the HTS is effective with 
respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for 
consumption, on or after July 26, 2001, the effective date of the 
notice granting Swaziland textile and apparel benefits under the AGAO.

Robert B. Zoellick,
United States Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 02-10664 Filed 4-30-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M