[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 247 (Tuesday, December 27, 2005)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 76647-76648]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-24581]



[[Page 76645]]

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Part IV





The President





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Proclamation 7970--To Take Certain Actions Under the African Growth and 
Opportunity Act
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  Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 247 / Tuesday, December 27, 2005 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 76647]]

                Proclamation 7970 of December 22, 2005

                
To Take Certain Actions Under the African Growth 
                and Opportunity Act

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                1. Section 506A(a)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974 (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. In Proclamation 7350 of October 2, 2000, the 
                President designated the Islamic Republic of Mauritania 
                (Mauritania) as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African 
                country pursuant to section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act 
                and provided that it would be considered a lesser 
                developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for 
                purposes of section 112(b)(3)(B) of the AGOA.

                5. Section 506A(a)(3) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
                2466a(a)(3)) authorizes the President to terminate the 
                designation of a country as a beneficiary sub-Saharan 
                African country for purposes of section 506A if he 
                determines that the country is not making continual 
                progress in meeting the requirements described in 
                section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act.

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

                7. I further determine that Burundi satisfies the 
                criterion for treatment as a ``lesser developed 
                beneficiary sub-Saharan African country'' under section 
                112(b)(3)(B) of the AGOA.

                8. Pursuant to section 506A(a)(3) of the 1974 Act, I 
                have determined that Mauritania is not making continual 
                progress in meeting the requirements described in 
                section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act. Accordingly, I have 
                decided to terminate the designation of Mauritania as a 
                beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of 
                section 506A of the 1974 Act, effective on January 1, 
                2006.

                9. Section 604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2483), as 
                amended, authorizes the President to embody in the 
                Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) of the United States 
                the substance of relevant provisions of that Act, or 
                other acts affecting import treatment, and of actions 
                taken thereunder.

[[Page 76648]]

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the 
                United States of America, acting under authority vested 
                in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United 
                States of America, including but not limited to section 
                104 of the AGOA and sections 506A and 604 of the 1974 
                Act, do proclaim that:

  (1) Burundi 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 Burundi.''

  (3) For purposes of section 112(b)(3)(B) of the AGOA, Burundi is a lesser 
developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African country.

  (4) The designation of Mauritania as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African 
country for purposes of section 506A of the 1974 Act is terminated, 
effective on January 1, 2006.

  (5) In order to reflect in the HTS that beginning January 1, 2006, 
Mauritania shall no longer be designated as a beneficiary sub-Saharan 
African country, general note 16(a) to the HTS is modified by deleting 
``Islamic Republic of Mauritania'' from the list of beneficiary sub-Saharan 
African countries. Further, U.S. note 2(d) to subchapter XIX of chapter 98 
of the HTS is modified by removing ``Islamic Republic of Mauritania'' from 
the list of lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries.

  (6) The modifications to the HTS made by paragraphs 2 and 5 of this 
proclamation shall be effective with respect to articles entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 2006.

  (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 
                twenty-second day of December, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand five, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and thirtieth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

[FR Doc. 05-24581
Filed 12-23-05; 9:51 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P