[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 50 (Monday, December 22, 2008)]
[Pages 1572-1573]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 8330--To Take Certain Actions Under the African Growth and 
Opportunity Act and the Generalized System of Preferences

 December 19, 2008

 By the President of the United States

 of America

 A Proclamation

    1. Section 506A(a)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the 
``1974 Act'') (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(1)), as added by section 111(a) of the 
African Growth and Opportunity Act (title I of Public Law 106-200) 
(AGOA), authorizes the President to designate a country listed in 
section 107 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3706) as a beneficiary sub-Saharan 
African country if the President determines that the country meets the 
eligibility requirements set forth in section 104 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 
3703) and the eligibility criteria set forth in section 502 of the 1974 
Act (19 U.S.C. 2462).
    2. Section 104 of the AGOA authorizes the President to designate a 
country listed in section 107 of the AGOA as an eligible sub-Saharan 
African country if the President determines that the country meets 
certain eligibility requirements.
    3. Section 112(c) of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3721(c)), as added by 
section 6002(a) of the Africa Investment Incentive Act of 2006 (division 
D, title VI of Public Law 109-432), provides special rules for certain 
apparel articles imported from lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan 
African countries.
    4. In Proclamation 8157 of June 28, 2007, I designated the Islamic 
Republic of Mauritania (Mauritania) as an eligible sub-Saharan African 
country and a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country pursuant to 
section 104 of the AGOA and section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act and 
provided that it would be considered a lesser developed beneficiary sub-
Saharan African country for purposes of section 112(c) of the AGOA.
    5. Section 506A(a)(3) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(3)) 
authorizes the President to terminate the designation of a country as a 
beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A if 
he determines that the country is not making continual

[[Page 1573]]

progress in meeting the requirements described in section 506A(a)(1) of 
the 1974 Act.
    6. Pursuant to section 506A(a)(3) of the 1974 Act, I have determined 
that Mauritania is not making continual progress in meeting the 
requirements described in section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act. 
Accordingly, I have decided to terminate the designation of Mauritania 
as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 
506A of the 1974 Act, effective on January 1, 2009.
    7. Pursuant to sections 501 and 502(a) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
2461, 2462(a)), the President is authorized to designate countries as 
beneficiary developing countries for purposes of the Generalized System 
of Preferences (GSP) program.
    8. Pursuant to section 502(a)(1) of the 1974 Act, and having 
considered the factors set forth in sections 501 and 502(c) (19 U.S.C. 
2462(c)), I have determined that the Republic of Kosovo (Kosovo) should 
be designated as a beneficiary developing country for purposes of the 
GSP program.
    9. Pursuant to section 502 of the 1974 Act, and having considered 
the factors set forth in sections 501 and 502(c), I have determined that 
the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijan) should be designated as a 
beneficiary developing country for purposes of the GSP program.
    10. Section 604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2483), as amended, 
authorizes the President to embody in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of 
the United States (HTS) the substance of relevant provisions of that 
Act, or other acts affecting import treatment, and of actions taken 
thereunder.
     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, including but not limited to section 
104 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3703), and title V and section 604 of the 
1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2461-67, 2483), do proclaim that:
    (1) The designation of Mauritania as a beneficiary sub-Saharan 
African country for purposes of section 506A of the 1974 Act is 
terminated, effective on January 1, 2009.
    (2) In order to reflect in the HTS that beginning on January 1, 
2009, Mauritania shall no longer be designated as a beneficiary sub-
Saharan African country, general note 16(a) to the HTS is modified by 
deleting ``Islamic Republic of Mauritania'' from the list of beneficiary 
sub-Saharan African countries.
    (3) Kosovo is designated as a beneficiary developing country for 
purposes of the GSP program.
    (4) In order to reflect this designation in the HTS, general note 
4(a) to the HTS is modified by adding in alphabetical order ``Kosovo,'' 
effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse 
for consumption, on or after February 1, 2009.
    (5) Azerbaijan is designated as a beneficiary developing country for 
purposes of the GSP program.
    (6) In order to reflect this designation in the HTS, general note 
4(a) to the HTS is modified by adding in alphabetical order 
``Azerbaijan,'' effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn 
from warehouse for consumption, on or after February 1, 2009.
    (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 nineteenth day 
of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
third.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:15 a.m., December 
22, 2008]

Note: This proclamation will be published in the Federal Register on 
December 23.