[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 2, 2003)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 15921-15922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8160]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 63 / Wednesday, April 2, 2003 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 15921]]

                Proclamation 7657 of March 28, 2003

                
To Take Certain Actions Under the African Growth 
                and Opportunity Act With Respect to the Republic of The 
                Gambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                1. Section 506A(a)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974, as 
                amended (the ``1974 Act'') (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(1)), as 
                added by section 111(a) of the African Growth and 
                Opportunity Act (title I of Public Law 106-200) (AGOA), 
                authorizes the President to designate a country listed 
                in section 107 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3706) as a 
                ``beneficiary sub-Saharan African country'' if the 
                President determines that the country meets the 
                eligibility requirements set forth in section 104 of 
                the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3703), as well as the eligibility 
                criteria set forth in section 502 of the 1974 Act (19 
                U.S.C. 2462).

                2. Section 104 of the AGOA authorizes the President to 
                designate a country listed in section 107 of the AGOA 
                as an ``eligible sub-Saharan African country'' if the 
                President determines that the country meets certain 
                eligibility requirements.

                3. Section 112(b)(3)(B) of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 
                3721(b)(3)(B)) provides special rules for certain 
                apparel articles imported from ``lesser developed 
                beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries.''

                4. Pursuant to section 104 of the AGOA and section 
                506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act, I have determined that the 
                Republic of The Gambia (The Gambia) meets the 
                eligibility requirements set forth or referenced 
                therein, and I have decided to designate The Gambia as 
                an eligible sub-Saharan African country and as a 
                beneficiary sub-Saharan African country.

                5. Pursuant to section 104 of the AGOA, I have 
                determined that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DROC) 
                meets the eligibility criteria set forth therein, and I 
                have decided to designate DROC as an eligible sub-
                Saharan African country.

                6. I have further decided to authorize the United 
                States Trade Representative (USTR) to exercise the 
                authority provided to the President under section 
                506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act with respect to DROC. The 
                USTR shall announce any such exercise of authority in a 
                notice published in the Federal Register.

                7. The Gambia satisfies the criterion for treatment as 
                a ``lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African 
                country'' under section 112(b)(3)(B) of the AGOA. DROC, 
                if it is designated as a beneficiary sub-Saharan 
                African country, would also satisfy the criterion for 
                treatment as a ``lesser developed beneficiary sub-
                Saharan African country'' under section 112(b)(3)(B) of 
                the AGOA.

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

                9. With respect to any designation of DROC as a 
                beneficiary sub-Saharan African country, I have decided 
                to authorize the USTR to exercise the

[[Page 15922]]

                authority provided to the President under section 604 
                of the 1974 Act to embody modifications and technical 
                or conforming changes in the HTS.

                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 sections 506A and 
                604 of the 1974 Act and section 104 of the AGOA, do 
                proclaim that:

                    (1) The Gambia is designated as an eligible sub-
                Saharan African country and as a beneficiary sub-
                Saharan African country.
                    (2) In order to reflect this designation in the 
                HTS, general note 16(a) to the HTS is modified by 
                inserting in alphabetical sequence in the list of 
                beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries ``Republic of 
                The Gambia.''
                    (3) DROC is designated as an eligible sub-Saharan 
                African country.
                    (4) The USTR is authorized to exercise the 
                authority provided to the President under section 
                506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act with respect to DROC. The 
                USTR shall announce any such exercise of authority in a 
                notice published in the Federal Register. To implement 
                any designation of DROC as a beneficiary sub-Saharan 
                African country, the USTR is authorized to exercise the 
                authority provided to the President under section 604 
                of the 1974 Act to embody modifications and technical 
                or conforming changes in the HTS.
                    (5) For purposes of section 112(b)(3)(B) of the 
                AGOA, The Gambia is a lesser developed beneficiary sub-
                Saharan African country. If it is designated as a 
                beneficiary sub-Saharan African country, DROC would 
                also be a lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan 
                African country for purposes of section 112(b)(3)(B) of 
                the AGOA.
                    (6) Any provisions of previous proclamations and 
                Executive Orders that are inconsistent with this 
                proclamation are superseded to the extent of such 
                inconsistency.
                    (7) The modification to the HTS made by this 
                proclamation shall be effective with respect to 
                articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for 
                consumption, on or after the date of publication of 
                this proclamation in the Federal Register.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-eighth day of March, 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

[FR Doc. 03-8160
Filed 4-1-03; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P