    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [June 30, 1999]
    [Page 1046]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1046]]

    Message to the Congress on the Generalized System of Preferences
    June 30, 1999

    To the Congress of the United States:
        The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) offers duty-free
    treatment to specified products that are imported from designated
    beneficiary developing countries. The GSP is authorized by title V of
    the Trade Act of 1974, as amended.
        I have determined, based on a consideration of the eligibility
    criteria in title V, that Gabon and Mongolia should be added to the list
    of beneficiary developing countries under the GSP.
        I have also determined that the suspension of preferential treatment
    for Mauritania as a beneficiary developing country under the GSP, as
    reported in my letters to the Speaker of the House and President of the
    Senate of June 25, 1993, should be ended. I had determined to suspend
    Mauritania from the GSP because Mauritania had not taken or was not
    taking steps to afford internationally recognized worker rights. I have
    determined that circumstances in Mauritania have changed and that, based
    on a consideration of the eligibility criteria in title V, preferential
    treatment under the GSP for Mauritania as a least-developed beneficiary
    developing country should be restored.
        This message is submitted in accordance with the requirements of
    title V of the Trade Act of 1974.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,

    June 30, 1999.

    Note:An original was not available for verification of the content of
    this message. The related proclamation of June 30 is listed in Appendix
    D at the end of this volume.