[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
[February 4, 1991]
[Page 103]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 103]]


Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on Beneficiary Trade Status for 
the Central African Republic, Chile, Namibia, and Paraguay
February 4, 1991

    The President today designated four countries as beneficiaries under
the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).
    Namibia, which became an independent country on March 21, 1990, is 
being designated as a GSP beneficiary for the first time; the Central 
African Republic (CAR), Chile, and Paraguay are being reinstated as 
beneficiaries. The GSP grants duty-free access to the United States to 
certain goods from developing countries. The four beneficiary countries 
can now export more than 4,230 products to the United States duty-free. 
For the first 11 months of 1990, the CAR exported $70,519 in GSP 
eligible products to the United States; Chile, $131 million; Paraguay, 
$21 million; and Namibia, $903,160.
    The CAR, Chile, and Paraguay had been suspended from the GSP program 
for their failure to provide internationally recognized worker rights, 
as required by the GSP statute. The Office of the United States Trade 
Representative (USTR) conducted a review of changes in the countries' 
laws and practices and determined that the countries now meet the worker 
rights requirements. Other GSP eligibility criteria include whether 
countries provide ``adequate and effective'' protection of intellectual 
property. The USTR review determined that Chile was making progress in 
providing improved patent protection.

                    Note: The related proclamations are listed in 
                        Appendix E at the end of this volume.