[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39940-39941]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-17705]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Determination 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 Togo has adopted an effective visa system and related procedures 
to prevent the unlawful transshipment of textile and apparel articles 
and the use of counterfeit documents in connection with the shipment of 
such articles, and has implemented and follows, or is making 
substantial progress towards implementing and following, the custom 
procedures required by the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). 
Therefore, imports of eligible products from Togo qualify for the 
textile and apparel benefits provided under the AGOA.

DATES: This notice is applicable on August 22, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Constance Hamilton, Acting Assistant 
United States Trade Representative for African Affairs, (202) 395-9514 
or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The AGOA (Title I of the Trade and 
Development Act of 2000, Pub. L. 106-200, as amended) 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 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 the unlawful transshipment of textile and apparel 
articles and the use of counterfeit documents in connection with 
shipment of such articles; and (2) have implemented and follow, or are 
making substantial progress towards implementing and following, certain 
customs procedures that assist the U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
in verifying the origin of the products. In

[[Page 39941]]

Proclamation 8240 dated April 17, 2008 (73 FR 21513), the President 
designated Togo as a ``beneficiary sub-Saharan African country'' and 
proclaimed, for the purposes of section 112(c) of AGOA, that Togo 
should be considered a lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African 
country.
    In Proclamation 7350 of October 2, 2000, the President authorized 
the United States Trade Representative to perform the function of 
determining whether eligible sub-Saharan countries have met the two 
requirements described above. The President directed the United States 
Trade Representative to announce any such determinations in the Federal 
Register and to implement them through modifications in the Harmonized 
Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS). Based on the actions Togo 
has taken, the United States Trade Representative has determined that 
Togo has satisfied these two requirements.
    Accordingly, pursuant to the authority vested in the United States 
Trade Representative by Proclamation 7350, U.S. note 7(a) to subchapter 
II of chapter 98 of the HTS, and U.S. notes 1 and 2(d) to subchapter 
XIX of the HTS, are modified by inserting ``Togo'' 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 effective date of this 
notice. Imports 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 66 FR 7837 (January 
25, 2001).

Constance Hamilton,
Acting Assistant United States Trade Representative for African 
Affairs, Office of the United States Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2017-17705 Filed 8-21-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3290-F7-P