[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.