[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 26 (Monday, July 5, 1999)]
[Pages 1227-1229]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7206--To Modify Duty-Free Treatment Under the Generalized 
System of Preferences and for Other Purposes

June 30, 1999

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    1. Pursuant to section 502 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the 
``1974 Act'') (19 U.S.C. 2462), the President may designate countries as 
beneficiary developing countries and least-developed beneficiary 
developing countries for purposes of the Generalized System of 
Preferences (GSP).
    2. Pursuant to section 503(c)(2)(A) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
2463(c)(2)(A)), beneficiary developing countries, except those 
designated as least-developed beneficiary developing countries, are 
subject to competitive need limitations on the preferential treatment 
afforded under the GSP to eligible articles.
    3. Pursuant to section 503(c)(2)(C) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
2463(c)(2)(C)), 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 
competitive need limitations in section 503(c)(2)(A) of the 1974 Act (19 
U.S.C. 2463(c)(2)(A)) during the preceding calendar year.
    4. Pursuant to section 503(c)(2)(F) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
2463(c)(2)(F)), the President may disregard the competitive need 
limitation provided in section 503(c)(2)(A)(i)(II) of the 1974 Act (19 
U.S.C. 2463(c)(2)(A)(i)(II)) with respect to any eligible article from 
any beneficiary developing country if the aggregate appraised value of 
the imports of such article into the United States during the preceding 
calendar year does not exceed the applicable amount set

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forth in section 503(c)(2)(F)(ii) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
2463(c)(2)(F)(ii)).
    5. Pursuant to section 503(d) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(d)), 
the President may waive the application of the competitive need 
limitations in section 503(c)(2)(A) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
2463(c)(2)(A)) with respect to any eligible article of any beneficiary 
developing country if certain conditions are met.
    6. Section 507(2) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2467(2)) provides that 
in the case of an association of countries which is a free trade area or 
customs union, or which is contributing to comprehensive regional 
economic integration among its members through appropriate means, 
including, but not limited to, the reduction of duties, the President 
may provide that all members of such association other than members 
which are barred from designation under section 502(b) of the 1974 Act 
(19 U.S.C. 2462(b)) shall be treated as one country for purposes of 
title V of the 1974 Act.
    7. Pursuant to section 502 of the 1974 Act, and having taken account 
of the eligibility criteria set forth therein, I have determined that 
Gabon and Mongolia should be designated as beneficiary developing 
countries for purposes of the GSP. Further, I have determined that the 
names of two previously designated beneficiary developing countries 
should be modified.
    8. Pursuant to section 502 of the 1974 Act, and having taken account 
of the eligibility criteria set forth therein, I have determined that 
the suspension pursuant to Proclamation 6575 of June 25, 1993, of 
preferential treatment for Mauritania as a least-developed beneficiary 
developing country under the GSP should be ended.
    9. Pursuant to section 503(c)(2)(A) of the 1974 Act, I have 
determined that certain beneficiary developing countries should not 
receive preferential tariff treatment under the GSP with respect to 
certain eligible articles imported in quantities that exceed the 
applicable competitive need limitation.
    10. Pursuant to section 503(c)(2)(C) of the 1974 Act, I have 
determined that certain countries should be redesignated as beneficiary 
developing countries with respect to certain eligible articles that 
previously had been imported in quantities exceeding the competitive 
need limitations of section 503(c)(2)(A) of the 1974 Act.
    11. Pursuant to section 503(c)(2)(F) of the 1974 Act, I have 
determined that the competitive need limitation provided in section 
503(c)(2)(A)(i)(II) should be waived with respect to certain eligible 
articles from certain beneficiary developing countries.
    12. Pursuant to section 503(d) of the 1974 Act, I have determined 
that the competitive need limitations of section 503(c)(2)(A) of the 
1974 Act should be waived with respect to certain eligible articles from 
certain beneficiary developing countries. 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 on the considerations 
described in sections 501 and 502(c) of the 1974 Act, that such waivers 
are in the national economic interest of the United States.
    13. Pursuant to section 507(2) of the 1974 Act, I have determined 
that Cambodia should be added to the list of countries identified in 
general note 4(a) of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(HTS) as members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) 
that shall be treated as one country for purposes of title V of the 1974 
Act.
    14. Section 604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2483), authorizes the 
President to embody in the HTS the substance of the relevant provisions 
of that Act, and of other acts affecting import treatment, and actions 
thereunder, including the removal, modification, continuance, or 
imposition of any rate of duty or other import restriction.
    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 of America, including but 
not limited to title V and section 604 of the 1974 Act, do proclaim 
that:
    (1) In order to provide for the designation of Gabon and Mongolia as 
beneficiary developing countries under the GSP, and to modify the names 
of two previously designated beneficiary developing countries, general

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note 4(a) to the HTS is modified as provided in sections A(1), A(2) and 
A(3) of Annex I to this proclamation and general note 4(b) to the HTS is 
modified as provided in section B of Annex I to this proclamation.
    (2) In order to provide for the addition of Cambodia to the list of 
members of ASEAN that shall be treated as one country for purposes of 
title V of the 1974 Act, general note 4(a) to the HTS is modified as 
provided in section A(4) of Annex I to this proclamation.
    (3) In order to provide for the restoration of preferential 
treatment for Mauritania as a least-developed beneficiary developing 
country under the GSP, general note 4(a) to the HTS is modified as 
provided in section C(1) of Annex I to this proclamation and general 
note 4(b) to the HTS is modified as provided in section C(2) of Annex I 
to this proclamation.
    (4) In order to provide that certain countries that have not been 
treated as beneficiary developing countries with respect to one or more 
eligible articles should be designated as beneficiary developing 
countries with respect to such article or articles for purposes of the 
GSP, and that certain countries should not be treated as beneficiary 
developing countries with respect to one or more eligible articles for 
purposes of the GSP, general note 4(d) to the HTS is modified as 
provided in section D of Annex I to this proclamation and the Rates of 
Duty 1-Special subcolumn for the HTS subheadings enumerated in section E 
of Annex I to this proclamation is modified as provided in such section.
    (5) A waiver of the application of section 503(c)(2)(A) of the 1974 
Act shall apply to the eligible articles in the HTS subheadings and to 
the beneficiary developing countries set forth in Annex II to this 
proclamation.
    (6) Any provisions of previous proclamations and Executive orders 
that are inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation are 
superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.
    (7)(a) The modifications to the HTS made by Annex I to this 
proclamation shall be effective on the dates specified in such annex.
    (b) The action taken in Annex II to this proclamation shall be 
effective on the date of signature of this proclamation.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day 
of June, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-nine, and 
of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
twenty-third.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:30 a.m., July 1, 
1999]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on July 2.