[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 27 (Monday, July 10, 2000)]
[Pages 1597-1598]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7328--To Amend the Generalized System of Preferences

July 6, 2000

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    1. Section 502(c)(7) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the 
``Trade Act'') (19 U.S.C. 2462(c)(7)), provides that, in determining 
whether to designate any country a beneficiary developing country under 
this section, the President shall take into account whether that country 
has taken or is taking steps to afford internationally recognized worker 
rights to workers in that country. Section 502(d)(1) of the Trade Act 
(19 U.S.C. 2462(d)(1)) provides that the President may withdraw, 
suspend, or limit the application of duty-free treatment under the 
Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) with respect to any designated 
beneficiary developing country based on consideration of the factors set 
forth in sections 501 and 502(c) of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2461 and 
2462(c)). Section 502(f)(2) of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2462(f)(2)) 
requires the President to notify the Congress and the affected country, 
at least 60 days before termination, of the President's intention to 
terminate the affected country's designation as a beneficiary developing 
country for purposes of the GSP.
    2. Section 502(e) of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2462(e)) provides that 
the President shall terminate the designation of a country as a 
beneficiary developing country if the President determines that such 
country has become a ``high income'' country as defined by the official 
statistics of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. 
Termination is effective on January 1 of the second year following the 
year in which such determination is made.
    3. Pursuant to section 502(d) of the Trade Act, and having 
considered the factors set forth in sections 501 and 502(c), I have 
determined that it is appropriate to suspend Belarus's GSP benefits 
because it has not taken and is not taking steps to afford workers in 
that country internationally recognized worker rights. In order to 
reflect the suspension of benefits under the GSP for articles imported 
from Belarus, I have determined that it is appropriate to modify general 
note 4(a) of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS).
    4. Pursuant to section 502(e) of the Trade Act, I have determined 
that Malta, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Slovenia meet the 
definition of a ``high income'' country as defined by the official 
statistics of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. 
Accordingly, pursuant to section 502(e) of the Trade Act, I am 
terminating the preferential treatment under the GSP for articles that 
are currently eligible for such treatment and that are imported from 
Malta, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Slovenia, effective January 
1, 2002.
    5. Section 604 of the Trade Act, as amended (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.
    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 Trade Act, do proclaim 
that:
    (1) In order to reflect the suspension of benefits under the GSP 
with respect to Belarus, general note 4(a) of the HTS is modified by 
deleting ``Belarus'' from the list

[[Page 1598]]

of independent countries, effective with respect to articles entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 60 days after the 
date of publication of this proclamation in the Federal Register.
    (2) In order to terminate the designation of Malta, French 
Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Slovenia as beneficiary developing 
countries under the GSP, general note 4(a) of the HTS is modified by:
      (a) deleting ``Malta'' and ``Slovenia'' from the list of 
independent countries, and
      (b) deleting ``French Polynesia'' and ``New Caledonia'' from the 
list of nonindependent countries and territories, effective with respect 
to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or 
after January 1, 2002.
    (3) 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.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of 
July, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence of 
the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:39 a.m., July 7, 
2000]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on July 
10.