[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 14, 2003)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 1951-1954]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-941]



[[Page 1949]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Part V





The President





-----------------------------------------------------------------------



Proclamation 7637--To Modify Duty-Free Treatment Under the Generalized 
System of Preferences
 
 
                         Presidential Documents 
 
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 9 / Tuesday, January 14, 2003 / 
Presidential Documents  

 ___________________________________________________________________

 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 1951]]

                Proclamation 7637 of January 10, 2003

                
To Modify Duty-Free Treatment Under the 
                Generalized System of Preferences

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Pursuant to section 502 of the Trade Act of 1974, as 
                amended (the ``1974 Act'') (19 U.S.C. 2462), the 
                President is authorized to designate countries as 
                beneficiary developing countries, and to designate any 
                beneficiary developing country as a least-developed 
                beneficiary developing country, for purposes of the 
                Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).

                Pursuant to section 503(c)(1) of title V of the 1974 
                Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(c)(1)), the President may withdraw, 
                suspend, or limit the application of duty-free 
                treatment accorded under this title with respect to any 
                article.

                Section 503(d)(5) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
                2463(d)(5)) provides that any waiver granted under 
                section 503(d) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(d)) 
                shall remain in effect until the President determines 
                that such waiver is no longer warranted due to changed 
                circumstances.

                Section 506A(b)(1) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
                2466a(b)(1)) authorizes the President to provide duty-
                free treatment for any article described in section 
                503(b)(1)(B) through (G) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
                2463(b)(1)(B)-(G)) that is the growth, product, or 
                manufacture of a designated beneficiary sub-Saharan 
                African country, if, after receiving the advice of the 
                United States International Trade Commission (USITC), 
                the President determines that such article is not 
                import-sensitive in the context of imports from 
                beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries.

                Pursuant to section 502 of the 1974 Act, and taking 
                into account the factors set forth in section 502(c) 
                (19 U.S.C. 2462(c)), I have decided to designate 
                Afghanistan as a beneficiary developing country for 
                purposes of the GSP.

                Pursuant to section 502 of the 1974 Act, and having 
                considered the factors set forth in sections 501 and 
                502(c), I have also decided to designate Afghanistan as 
                a least-developed beneficiary developing country for 
                purposes of the GSP.

                Pursuant to section 503(c)(1) of the 1974 Act, and 
                having considered the factors set forth in sections 501 
                and 502(c), I have determined to withdraw the 
                application of duty-free treatment under the GSP 
                accorded to a certain article from Chile.

                Pursuant to section 503(d)(5), I have determined that 
                the waiver granted under section 503(d) to Chile for a 
                certain article is no longer warranted due to changed 
                circumstances.

                Pursuant to section 506A(b)(1) of the 1974 Act, and 
                having received the advice of the USITC, I have 
                determined that a certain article is not import-
                sensitive in the context of imports from beneficiary 
                sub-Saharan African countries. I have decided to 
                provide duty-free treatment to this article when 
                imported from any beneficiary sub-Saharan African 
                country.

                Section 604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2483), 
                authorizes the President to embody in the Harmonized 
                Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) the 
                substance of the relevant provisions of that Act, and 
                of other acts

[[Page 1952]]

                affecting import treatment, and actions thereunder, 
                including the removal, modification, continuance, or 
                imposition of any rate of duty or other import 
                restriction.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, 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 title V and section 
                604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2461-7, 2483), do 
                proclaim that:

                    (1) In order to reflect in the HTS the addition of 
                Afghanistan as a beneficiary developing country and as 
                a least-developed beneficiary developing country under 
                the GSP, and the withdrawal of duty-free treatment 
                under the GSP accorded to a certain article from Chile, 
                general note 4 to the HTS is modified as provided in 
                section A of the Annex to this proclamation.
                    (2) In order to provide duty-free treatment for a 
                certain article when imported from a beneficiary sub-
                Saharan African country, the HTS is modified by 
                amending and sub-dividing the nomenclature of an 
                existing HTS subheading as provided in section B of the 
                Annex to this proclamation.
                    (3) In order to provide that Chile should not be 
                treated as a beneficiary developing country with 
                respect to a certain eligible article for purposes of 
                the GSP, the Rates of Duty 1-Special subcolumn for the 
                HTS subheading enumerated in section C of the Annex to 
                this proclamation is modified as provided in such 
                section.
                    (4) A waiver of the application of section 
                503(c)(2) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(c)(2)) 
                previously granted to Chile for HTS subheading 
                0811.20.20 shall be terminated on the date of 
                publication of this proclamation in the Federal 
                Register
                    (5) 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.
                    (6) (a) The modifications made by section A of the 
                Annex to this proclamation shall be effective with 
                respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from 
                warehouse for consumption, on or after the dates set 
                forth in that section.

                 (b) The modifications made by section B of the Annex 
                to this proclamation shall be effective with respect to 
                articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for 
                consumption, on or after the fifteenth day after the 
                date of publication of this proclamation in the Federal 
                Register.

                 (c) The modifications made by section C of the Annex 
                to this proclamation shall be effective with respect to 
                articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for 
                consumption, on or after the thirtieth day after the 
                date of publication of this proclamation in the Federal 
                Register.

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

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

Billing code 3195-01-P


[[Page 1953]]

[GRAPHIC][TIFF OMITTED]TD14JA03.011


[[Page 1954]]



[GRAPHIC][TIFF OMITTED]TD14JA03.012


[FR Doc. 03-941
Filed 1-13-03; 10:38 am]

Billing code 3190-01-C
 