[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 43 (Thursday, March 4, 2004)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 10131-10132]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-5006]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 43 / Thursday, March 4, 2004 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 10131]]

                Proclamation 7758 of March 1, 2004

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

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                1. Pursuant to sections 501 and 502(a)(1) of the Trade 
                Act of 1974, as amended (the ``Act'') (19 U.S.C. 2461, 
                2462(a)(1)), the President is authorized to designate 
                countries as beneficiary developing countries for 
                purposes of the Generalized System of Preferences 
                (GSP).

                2. Section 502(b)(1)(C) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 
                2462(b)(1)(C)) specifies that European Union member 
                states may not be designated as beneficiary developing 
                countries for purposes of the GSP.

                3. Section 502(e) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 2462(e)) 
                provides that the President shall terminate the 
                designation of a country as a beneficiary developing 
                country for purposes of the GSP if the President 
                determines that such country has become a ``high 
                income'' country as defined by the official statistics 
                of the International Bank for Reconstruction and 
                Development. Termination is effective on January 1 of 
                the second year following the year in which such 
                determination is made.

                4. Pursuant to sections 501 and 502(a)(1) of the Act, 
                and having due regard for the factors set forth in 
                section 501 of the Act and taking into account the 
                factors set forth in section 502(c) (19 U.S.C. 
                2462(c)), I have decided to designate Algeria as a 
                beneficiary developing country for purposes of the GSP.

                5. Consistent with section 502(b)(1)(C) of the Act, I 
                have decided to terminate the designation of the Czech 
                Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, 
                and Slovakia as beneficiary developing countries, with 
                such termination to become effective for each of these 
                countries when it becomes a European Union member 
                state.

                6. Pursuant to section 502(e) of the Act, I have 
                determined that Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, and 
                Barbados have become ``high income'' countries, and I 
                am terminating the designation of those countries as 
                beneficiary developing countries for purposes of the 
                GSP, effective January 1, 2006.

                7. Section 604 of the 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.

                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 Act (19 U.S.C. 2461-67, 2483), do proclaim 
                that:

                    (1) Algeria is designated as a beneficiary 
                developing country for purposes of the GSP, effective 
                15 days after the date of this proclamation.
                    (2) In order to reflect this designation in the 
                HTS, general note 4(a) to the HTS is modified by adding 
                ``Algeria'' to the list entitled ``Independent 
                Countries,'' effective with respect to articles 
                entered, or withdrawn from

[[Page 10132]]

                warehouse for consumption, on or after the fifteenth 
                day after the date of this proclamation.
                    (3) The designation of the Czech Republic, Estonia, 
                Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia as 
                beneficiary developing countries for purposes of the 
                GSP is terminated for each country on the date when it 
                becomes a European Union member state. The United 
                States Trade Representative shall announce each such 
                date in a notice published in the Federal Register.
                    (4) In order to reflect these terminations in the 
                HTS, general note 4(a) to the HTS is modified by 
                deleting ``Czech Republic,'' ``Estonia,'' ``Hungary,'' 
                ``Latvia,'' ``Lithuania,'' ``Poland,'' and ``Slovakia'' 
                from the list of independent countries, effective for 
                each of these countries with respect to articles 
                entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, 
                on or after the day on which that country becomes a 
                European Union member state.
                    (5) The designation of Antigua and Barbuda, 
                Bahrain, and Barbados as beneficiary developing 
                countries for purposes of the GSP is terminated, 
                effective on January 1, 2006.
                    (6) In order to reflect this termination in the 
                HTS, and to make other changes to update the list of 
                Caribbean Common Market (CARICOM) member countries, 
                effective with respect to articles entered, or 
                withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 
                January 1, 2006, general note 4(a) to the HTS is 
                modified by:

(a)

 deleting ``Antigua and Barbuda,'' ``Bahrain,'' and ``Barbados'' from the 
list of independent countries,

(b)

 deleting ``Antigua and Barbuda'' and ``Barbados'' from the list of the 
``Member Countries of the Caribbean Common Market (CARICOM), except The 
Bahamas'' under the provision ``Associations of Countries (treated as one 
country),'' and

(c)

 deleting ``Member Countries of the Caribbean Common Market (CARICOM), 
except The Bahamas'' and inserting ``Member Countries of the Caribbean 
Common Market (CARICOM)'' in lieu thereof, and deleting ``Consisting of:'' 
before the list of countries and inserting ``Currently qualifying:'' in 
lieu thereof.

                    (7) 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.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                first day of March, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand four, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and twenty-eighth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

[FR Doc. 04-5006
Filed 3-3-04; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P