[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 30 (Monday, July 31, 1995)]
[Pages 1328-1330]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 6813--To Amend the Generalized System of Preferences

July 28, 1995

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    1. Pursuant to section 504(c) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended 
(``Trade Act'') (19 U.S.C. 2464(c)), beneficiary developing countries 
are subject to limitations on the preferential treatment afforded under 
the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). Pursuant to section 
504(c)(3) of the Trade Act, the President may waive the application of 
section 504(c) of the Trade Act after receiving the advice of the 
International Trade Commission, determining that the waiver is in the 
national economic interest of the United States, and publishing such 
determination in the Federal Register. Pursuant to section 504(c)(5) of 
the Trade Act, a country that is no longer treated as a beneficiary 
developing country with respect to an eligible article may be 
redesignated as a beneficiary developing country with respect to such 
article if imports of such article from such country did not exceed the 
limitations in section 504(c)(1) of the Trade Act during the preceding 
calendar year. Pursuant to section 504(d)(2) of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 
2464(d)(2)), the President may disregard the limitations provided in 
section 504(c)(1)(B) of the Trade Act with respect to any eligible 
article if the appraised value of the total imports of such article into 
the United States during the preceding calendar year is not in excess of 
an amount that bears the same ratio to $5,000,000 as the gross national 
product of the United States for that calendar year (as determined by 
the Department of Commerce) bears to the gross national product of the 
United States for calendar year 1979.
    2. Section 502(b)(7) of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2462(b)(7)) 
provides that a country that has not taken or is not taking steps to 
afford workers in that country internationally recognized worker rights, 
as defined in section 502(a)(4) of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2462(a)(4)), 
is ineligible for designation as a beneficiary developing country for 
purposes of the GSP. Section 502(c)(7) of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 
2462(c)(7)) provides that, in determining whether to designate a country 
as a beneficiary developing country under the GSP, the President shall 
take into account whether the country has taken or is taking steps to 
afford internationally recognized worker rights to workers in that 
country. Section 504 of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2464) authorizes the 
President to withdraw, suspend, or limit the application of duty-free 
treatment under the GSP with respect to any country after considering 
the factors set forth in sections 501 and 502(c) of the Trade Act (19 
U.S.C. 2461 and 2462(c)).
    3. Pursuant to section 504(c)(3) of the Trade Act, I have determined 
that it is appropriate to waive the application of section 504(c) of the 
Trade Act with respect to certain eligible articles from a beneficiary 
developing country. I have received the advice of the International 
Trade Commission on whether any industries in the United States are 
likely to be adversely affected by such waivers and I have determined, 
based on that advice and the considerations described in sections 501 
and 502(c) of the Trade Act, that such waivers are in the national 
economic interest of the United States. Pursuant to section 504(c)(5) of 
the Trade Act, I have determined that a country should be redesignated 
as a beneficiary developing country with respect to certain eligible 
articles. Pursuant to section 504(d)(2) of the Trade Act, I have 
determined that section 504(c)(1)(B) of the Trade Act should not apply 
with respect to certain eligible articles.
    4. Pursuant to sections 502(b)(7), 502(c)(7), and 504 of the Trade 
Act, I have

[[Page 1329]]

determined that Maldives has not taken and is not taking steps to afford 
internationally recognized worker rights to workers in Maldives. 
Accordingly, I have determined that it is appropriate to suspend the 
designation of Maldives as a beneficiary developing country for purposes 
of the GSP.
    5. Pursuant to sections 501 and 502 of the Trade Act, and having due 
regard for the eligibility criteria set forth therein, I have determined 
that it is appropriate to designate Moldova as a beneficiary developing 
country for purposes of the GSP.
    6. Section 604 of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2483) authorizes the 
President to embody in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United 
States (HTS) the substance of the provisions of that Act, and of other 
acts affecting import treatment, and actions thereunder.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, acting under the authority vested in me by the 
Constitution and the laws of the United States, including but not 
limited to sections 501, 502, 504, and 604 of the Trade Act, do proclaim 
that:
    (1) In order to restore preferential tariff treatment under the GSP 
to a country that has been excluded from the benefits of the GSP for 
certain eligible articles, the Rates of Duty 1-Special subcolumn for HTS 
subheadings 0713.31.40, 1102.30.00, 1103.14.00, 4104.39.20, 7113.11.50, 
7113.20.50, 9401.40.00, 9401.61.60, 9401.69.80, 9403.30.80, 9403.40.90, 
and 9403.50.90 are modified by deleting the symbol ``A*'' in 
parentheses, and by inserting the symbol ``A'' in lieu thereof.
    (2) In order to provide that a country that has not been treated as 
a beneficiary developing country with respect to certain eligible 
articles should be restored as a beneficiary developing country with 
respect to such articles for purposes of the GSP, general note 4(d) to 
the HTS is modified by deleting the following from such note: 
``0713.31.40 Thailand'', ``1102.30.00 Thailand'', ``1103.14.00 
Thailand'', ``4104.39.20 Thailand'', ``7113.11.50 Thailand'', 
``7113.20.50 Thailand'', ``9401.40.00 Thailand'', ``9401.61.60 
Thailand'', ``9401.69.80 Thailand'', ``9403.30.80 Thailand'', 
``9403.40.90 Thailand'', and ``9403.50.90 Thailand''.
    (3)(a) The waivers of the application of section 504(c) of the Trade 
Act shall apply to imports of eligible articles from Thailand that are 
provided for in HTS subheadings 6702.90.65, 7113.11.20, 7113.19.50, and 
9403.60.80.
    (b) In order to restore preferential tariff treatment: (i) the Rates 
of Duty 1-Special subcolumn for HTS subheadings 6702.90.65, 7113.11.20, 
and 9403.60.80 are modified by deleting the symbol ``A*'' in 
parentheses, and by inserting the symbol ``A'' in lieu thereof; (ii) 
general note 4(d) is modified by deleting the following from such note: 
``6702.90.65 Thailand'', ``7113.11.20 Thailand'', and ``9403.60.80 
Thailand''; and (iii) general note 4(d) is modified by deleting 
``Thailand'' set out opposite 7113.19.50.
    (4) General note 4 to the HTS, listing those countries whose 
products are eligible for benefits of the GSP, is modified by: (a) 
deleting ``Maldives'' from the list of independent countries in general 
note 4(a), and deleting ``Maldives'' from the list of least-developed 
beneficiary developing countries in general note 4(b); and
    (b) inserting ``Moldova'' in alphabetical order in the list of 
independent countries in general note 4(a).
    (5) Any provisions of previous proclamations and Executive orders 
inconsistent with the provisions of this proclamation are hereby 
superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.
    (6)(a) The modifications to the HTS made by paragraphs (1) and (2) 
shall be effective July 31, 1995.
    (b) The United States Trade Representative shall issue a notice in 
the Federal Register announcing when the modifications to the HTS made 
by paragraph (3)(b) shall be effective.
    (c) The modifications to the HTS made by paragraph (4)(a) shall be 
effective 60 days after the date of publication of this proclamation in 
the Federal Register.
    (d) The modification to the HTS made by paragraph (4)(b) shall be 
effective with respect to articles that are: (i) imported on or after 
January 1, 1976, and (ii) entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for 
consumption, on or after 15 days after the date of publica- 

[[Page 1330]]

tion of this proclamation in the Federal Register.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth 
day of July, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-five, 
and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 
and twentieth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:36 a.m., July 28, 
1995]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on July 
31.