[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 82 (Monday, April 28, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 22983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-9150]



[[Page 22983]]

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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 The Gambia 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 
toward implementing and following, the customs procedures required by 
the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Therefore, imports of 
eligible products from The Gambia qualify for the textile and apparel 
benefits provided under the AGOA.

DATES: Effective April 28, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laurie-Ann Agama, 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. The textile and apparel 
trade benefits under the AGOA are available to imports of eligible 
products from countries that the President designates as ``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 U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection in verifying the origin of the products.
    On April 2, 2003, the President designated The Gambia a 
``beneficiary sub-Saharan African country.'' Proclamation 7350 (October 
2, 2000) delegated to the USTR 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 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS). Based on actions 
that the Government of The Gambia has taken, I have determined that The 
Gambia has satisfied these two requirements.
    Accordingly, 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, U.S. note 1 to subchapter XIX of chapter 98 of the HTS, and U.S. 
note 2(a) to subchapter XIX of chapter 98 of the HTS, are each modified 
by inserting ``The Gambia'' 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 date of publication of this notice. 
Importers claiming preferential tariff treatment under the AGOA for 
entries of textile and apparel articles should ensure that those 
entries meet the applicable visa requirements. See Visa Requirements 
Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, 66 FR 7837 (2001).

Susan C. Schwab,
United States Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. E8-9150 Filed 4-25-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W8-P