[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 3 (Monday, January 20, 2003)]
[Pages 60-61]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7637--To Modify Duty-Free Treatment Under the Generalized 
System of Preferences

 January 10, 2003

 By the President of the United States

 of America

 A Proclamation

    Pursuant to section 502 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the 
``1974 Act'') (19 U.S.C. 2462), the President is authorized to designate 
countries as beneficiary developing countries, and to designate any 
beneficiary developing country as a least-developed beneficiary 
developing country, for purposes of the Generalized System of 
Preferences (GSP).
    Pursuant to section 503(c)(1) of title V of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
2463(c)(1)), the President may withdraw, suspend, or limit the 
application of duty-free treatment accorded under this title with 
respect to any article.
    Section 503(d)(5) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(d)(5)) provides 
that any waiver granted under section 503(d) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
2463(d)) shall remain in effect until the President determines that such 
waiver is no longer warranted due to changed circumstances.
    Section 506A(b)(1) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2466a(b)(1)) 
authorizes the President to provide duty-free treatment for any article 
described in section 503(b)(1)(B) through (G) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
2463(b)(1)(B)-(G)) that is the growth, product, or manufacture of a 
designated beneficiary sub-Saharan African country, if, after receiving 
the advice of the United States International Trade Commission (USITC), 
the President determines that such article is not import-sensitive in 
the context of imports from beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries.
    Pursuant to section 502 of the 1974 Act, and taking into account the 
factors set forth in section 502(c) (19 U.S.C. 2462(c)), I have decided 
to designate Afghanistan as a beneficiary developing country for 
purposes of the GSP.
    Pursuant to section 502 of the 1974 Act, and having considered the 
factors set forth in sections 501 and 502(c), I have also decided to 
designate Afghanistan as a least-developed beneficiary developing 
country for purposes of the GSP.
    Pursuant to section 503(c)(1) of the 1974 Act, and having considered 
the factors set forth in sections 501 and 502(c), I have determined to 
withdraw the application of duty-free treatment under the GSP accorded 
to a certain article from Chile.
    Pursuant to section 503(d)(5), I have determined that the waiver 
granted under section 503(d) to Chile for a certain article is no longer 
warranted due to changed circumstances.
    Pursuant to section 506A(b)(1) of the 1974 Act, and having received 
the advice of the USITC, I have determined that a certain article is not 
import-sensitive in the context of imports from beneficiary sub-Saharan 
African countries. I have decided to provide duty-free treatment to this 
article when imported from any beneficiary sub-Saharan African country.
    Section 604 of the 1974 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 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, George W. Bush, 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 title V and section 
604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2461-7, 2483), do proclaim that:

[[Page 61]]

    (1) In order to reflect in the HTS the addition of Afghanistan as a 
beneficiary developing country and as a least-developed beneficiary 
developing country under the GSP, and the withdrawal of duty-free 
treatment under the GSP accorded to a certain article from Chile, 
general note 4 to the HTS is modified as provided in section A of the 
Annex to this proclamation.
    (2) In order to provide duty-free treatment for a certain article 
when imported from a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country, the HTS is 
modified by amending and sub-dividing the nomenclature of an existing 
HTS subheading as provided in section B of the Annex to this 
proclamation.
    (3) In order to provide that Chile should not be treated as a 
beneficiary developing country with respect to a certain eligible 
article for purposes of the GSP, the Rates of Duty 1-Special subcolumn 
for the HTS subheading enumerated in section C of the Annex to this 
proclamation is modified as provided in such section.
    (4) A waiver of the application of section 503(c)(2) of the 1974 Act 
(19 U.S.C. 2463(c)(2)) previously granted to Chile for HTS subheading 
0811.20.20 shall be terminated on the date of publication of this 
proclamation in the Federal Register
    (5) 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.
    (6) (a) The modifications made by section A of the Annex to this 
proclamation shall be effective with respect to articles entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the dates set 
forth in that section.
(b)          The modifications made by section B of the Annex to this 
            proclamation shall be effective with respect to articles 
            entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or 
            after the fifteenth day after the date of publication of 
            this proclamation in the Federal Register.
(c)          The modifications made by section C of the Annex to this 
            proclamation shall be effective with respect to articles 
            entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or 
            after the thirtieth day after the date of publication of 
            this proclamation in the Federal Register.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of 
January, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
seventh.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:38 a.m., January 13, 
2003]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on January 13, and it was published in the Federal Register on 
January 14.