U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1

19–011 2003

108th Congress, 1st Session – – – – – – – – – – – – – House Document 108–20

TO MODIFY DUTY-FREE TREATMENT UNDER THE 

GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES

COMMUNICATION

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

TRANSMITTING

NOTIFICATION OF HIS INTENTION TO ADD AFGHANISTAN TO THE 

LIST OF LEAST-DEVELOPED BENEFICIARY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES UNDER THE GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES 

(GSP), PURSUANT TO PUB. L. 104–188, SEC. 1952(a) (110 STAT. 

1917)

JANUARY 27, 2003.—Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means and 

ordered to be printed 


E:\Seals\Congress.#13
(1)

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

Washington, January 10, 2003. 

Hon. J. DENNIS HASTERT, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 

Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. SPEAKER: I am writing to inform you of my intent to 

add Afghanistan to the list of beneficiary developing countries and 

to the list of least-developed beneficiary developing countries under 

the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). I have carefully considered the criteria identified in sections 501 and 502 of the Trade 

Act of 1974, as amended. In light of these criteria, I have determined that it is appropriate to extend GSP beneficiary developing 

country and least-developed beneficiary developing country benefits 

to Afghanistan. 

This notice is submitted in accordance with section 502(f) of the 

Trade Act of 1974. 

Sincerely, 

GEORGE W. BUSH.

(3)

TO MODIFY DUTY-FREE TREATMENT UNDER THE GENERALIZED

SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES

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 subSaharan 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 174 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 

4

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: 

(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 proclamation and Executive Orders that are inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation are superseded to the extent of such inconsistency. 

(6)(a) The modification 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 modification 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 modification 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, 

5

and of the Independence of the United States of America the two 

hundred and twenty-seventh.

GEORGE W. BUSH.

6


Insert offset folio 7 here HD20.001
7


Insert offset folio 8 here HD20.002