[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 10 (Monday, March 8, 2004)]
[Pages 310-312]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7758--To Modify Duty-Free Treatment Under the Generalized 
System of Preferences

 March 1, 2004

 By the President of the United States

 of America

 A Proclamation

    1. Pursuant to sections 501 and 502(a)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974, 
as amended (the ``Act'') (19 U.S.C. 2461, 2462(a)(1)), the President is 
authorized to designate countries as beneficiary developing countries 
for purposes of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).
    2. Section 502(b)(1)(C) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 2462(b)(1)(C)) 
specifies that European Union member states may not be designated as 
beneficiary developing countries for purposes of the GSP.
    3. Section 502(e) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 2462(e)) provides that the 
President shall terminate the designation of a country as a beneficiary 
developing country for purposes of the GSP 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.
    4. Pursuant to sections 501 and 502(a)(1) of the Act, and having due 
regard for the factors set forth in section 501 of the Act and taking 
into account the factors set forth

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in section 502(c) (19 U.S.C. 2462(c)), I have decided to designate 
Algeria as a beneficiary developing country for purposes of the GSP.
    5. Consistent with section 502(b)(1)(C) of the Act, I have decided 
to terminate the designation of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, 
Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia as beneficiary developing 
countries, with such termination to become effective for each of these 
countries when it becomes a European Union member state.
    6. Pursuant to section 502(e) of the Act, I have determined that 
Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, and Barbados have become ``high income'' 
countries, and I am terminating the designation of those countries as 
beneficiary developing countries for purposes of the GSP, effective 
January 1, 2006.
    7. Section 604 of the 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 Act (19 U.S.C. 2461-67, 2483), do proclaim that:
    (1) Algeria is designated as a beneficiary developing country for 
purposes of the GSP, effective 15 days after the date of this 
proclamation.
    (2) In order to reflect this designation in the HTS, general note 
4(a) to the HTS is modified by adding ``Algeria'' to the list entitled 
``Independent Countries,'' effective with respect to articles entered, 
or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the fifteenth 
day after the date of this proclamation.
    (3) The designation of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, 
Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia as beneficiary developing countries for 
purposes of the GSP is terminated for each country on the date when it 
becomes a European Union member state. The United States Trade 
Representative shall announce each such date in a notice published in 
the Federal Register.
    (4) In order to reflect these terminations in the HTS, general note 
4(a) to the HTS is modified by deleting ``Czech Republic,'' ``Estonia,'' 
``Hungary,'' ``Latvia,'' ``Lithuania,'' ``Poland,'' and ``Slovakia'' 
from the list of independent countries, effective for each of these 
countries with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse 
for consumption, on or after the day on which that country becomes a 
European Union member state.
    (5) The designation of Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, and Barbados as 
beneficiary developing countries for purposes of the GSP is terminated, 
effective on January 1, 2006.
    (6) In order to reflect this termination in the HTS, and to make 
other changes to update the list of Caribbean Common Market (CARICOM) 
member countries, effective with respect to articles entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 2006, 
general note 4(a) to the HTS is modified by:
(a)          deleting ``Antigua and Barbuda,'' ``Bahrain,'' and 
            ``Barbados'' from the list of independent countries,
(b)          deleting ``Antigua and Barbuda'' and ``Barbados'' from the 
            list of the ``Member Countries of the Caribbean Common 
            Market (CARICOM), except The Bahamas'' under the provision 
            ``Associations of Countries (treated as one country),'' and
(c)          deleting ``Member Countries of the Caribbean Common Market 
            (CARICOM), except The Bahamas'' and inserting ``Member 
            Countries of the Caribbean Common Market (CARICOM)'' in lieu 
            thereof, and deleting ``Consisting of:'' before the list of 
            countries and inserting ``Currently qualifying:'' in lieu 
            thereof.
    (7) 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 first day of 
March, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the

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Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
eighth.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., March 3, 
2004]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on March 
4.