[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
[May 30, 1997]
[Pages 682-683]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Message to the Congress on the Generalized System of Preferences
May 30, 1997

To the Congress of the United States:
    The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program offers duty-free 
treatment to specified products that are imported from designated 
developing countries. The program is authorized by title V of the Trade 
Act of 1974, as amended.
    Pursuant to title V, I have determined that Cambodia should be 
designated as a least developed beneficiary developing country under the 
GSP program because it has taken steps to improve worker rights and the 
protection of intellectual property. I have also determined, as a result 
of the 1995 Annual Review of petitions for changes that three products 
should be added to the GSP list of eligible products and that the 
competitive need limits on 22 products should be waived. As a result of 
a review of 1996 imports of GSP products, I have determined that de 
minimis limits on 79 products be waived and 11 products, whose imports 
no

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longer exceed the program's competitive need limits, should be 
redesignated as GSP eligible. Finally as a result of certain provisions 
of the legislation enacted in August 1996 reauthorizing GSP, I am 
granting GSP eligibility to an additional 1,783 articles not previously 
included under GSP, provided that they are imported directly from the 
least developed beneficiary developing countries.
    This notice is submitted in accordance with the requirements of 
title V of the Trade Act of 1974.

                                                      William J. Clinton

The White House,

May 30, 1997.

Note: The proclamation of May 30 modifying duty-free treatment under the 
Generalized System of Preferences is listed in Appendix D at the end of 
this volume.