[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 247 (Tuesday, December 23, 2008)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 78913-78915]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30765]



[[Page 78911]]

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Part III





The President





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Proclamation 8330--To Take Certain Actions Under the African Growth and 
Opportunity Act and the Generalized System of Preferences
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                         Presidential Documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 247 / Tuesday, December 23, 2008 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 78913]]

                Proclamation 8330 of December 19, 2008

                
 To Take Certain Actions Under the African Growth 
                and Opportunity Act and the Generalized System of 
                Preferences

                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) and 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(c) of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3721(c)), as 
                added by section 6002(a) of the Africa Investment 
                Incentive Act of 2006 (division D, title VI of Public 
                Law 109-432), provides special rules for certain 
                apparel articles imported from lesser developed 
                beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries.

                 4. In Proclamation 8157 of June 28, 2007, I designated 
                the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (Mauritania) as an 
                eligible sub-Saharan African country and a beneficiary 
                sub-Saharan African country pursuant to section 104 of 
                the AGOA and 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(c) 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 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, 
                2009.

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

                 8. Pursuant to section 502(a)(1) of the 1974 Act, and 
                having considered the factors set forth in sections 501 
                and 502(c) (19 U.S.C. 2462(c)), I have determined that 
                the Republic of Kosovo (Kosovo) should be designated as 
                a beneficiary developing country for purposes of the 
                GSP program.

                 9. Pursuant to section 502 of the 1974 Act, and having 
                considered the factors set forth in sections 501 and 
                502(c), I have determined that the

[[Page 78914]]

                Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijan) should be 
                designated as a beneficiary developing country for 
                purposes of the GSP program.

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

                 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, including but not limited to section 104 
                of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3703), and title V and section 
                604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2461-67, 2483), do 
                proclaim that:

                (1) 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, 
                2009.

                 (2) In order to reflect in the HTS that beginning on 
                January 1, 2009, 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.

                 (3) Kosovo is designated as a beneficiary developing 
                country for purposes of the GSP program.

                 (4) In order to reflect this designation in the HTS, 
                general note 4(a) to the HTS is modified by adding in 
                alphabetical order ``Kosovo,'' effective with respect 
                to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for 
                consumption, on or after February 1, 2009.

                 (5) Azerbaijan is designated as a beneficiary 
                developing country for purposes of the GSP program.

                (6) In order to reflect this designation in the HTS, 
                general note 4(a) to the HTS is modified by adding in 
                alphabetical order ``Azerbaijan,'' effective with 
                respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from 
                warehouse for consumption, on or after February 1, 
                2009.

                 (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.

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                 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                nineteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. E8-30765
Filed 12-22-08; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3195-W9-P