Presidential Documents

76551

Federal Register

Vol. 65, No. 235

Wednesday, December 6, 2000

Title 3—

The President

Proclamation 7383 of December 1, 2000

To Implement Title V of the Trade and Development Act of

2000 and To Modify the Generalized System of Preferences

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

1. Title V of the Trade and Development Act of 2000 (Public Law 106–

200) (the ‘‘Act’’) modifies the tariff treatment of certain imported wool

articles.

2. Section 501(a)(1) of the Act amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule

of the United States (HTS) to create a new heading, 9902.51.11, for imports

of certain worsted wool fabrics with average fiber diameters greater than

18.5 microns. Section 501(d) of the Act limits the quantity of imports under

heading 9902.51.11, on an annual basis, to 2,500,000 square meter equivalents

or such other quantity proclaimed by the President pursuant to section

504(b)(3) of the Act.

3. Section 501(b)(1) of the Act amends the HTS to create a new heading,

9902.51.12, for imports of certain worsted wool fabrics with average fiber

diameters of 18.5 microns or less. Section 501(d) of the Act limits the

quantity of imports under heading 9902.51.12, on an annual basis, to

1,500,000 square meter equivalents or such other quantity proclaimed by

the President pursuant to section 504(b)(3) of the Act.

4. Section 501(b)(2) of the Act authorizes the President to proclaim a reduction in the rate of duty applicable to imports of worsted wool fabrics classified

under heading 9902.51.12 of the HTS that is necessary to equalize such

rate of duty with the most favored nation rate of duty applicable to imports

of such worsted wool fabrics into Canada.

5. Section 501(e) of the Act provides that in implementing the limitation

on the quantity of imports of worsted wool fabrics under headings 9902.51.11

and 9902.51.12 of the HTS, the President, consistent with U.S. international

obligations, shall take such action as he determines appropriate to ensure

that such fabrics are fairly allocated to persons who cut and sew men’s

and boys’ worsted wool suits and suit-type jackets and trousers in the

United States and who apply for an allocation based on the amount of

such suits cut and sewn during the prior calendar year.

6. Section 503(a) of the Act requires the President to proclaim 8-digit tariff

categories for certain wool yarn and wool fabrics with an average fiber

diameter of 18.5 microns or less, and men’s or boys’ suits, suit-type jackets,

and trousers of worsted wool fabric, made of wool yarn with an average

diameter of 18.5 microns or less. Section 503(b) of the Act authorizes the

President to make conforming changes in the HTS to take into account

the new tariff categories proclaimed under section 503(a).

7. Section 504(a) of the Act requires the President to monitor market conditions in the United States, including domestic demand, domestic supply,

and increases in domestic production, of worsted wool fabrics and their

components in the market for (i) men’s or boys’ worsted wool suits, suittype jackets, and trousers, (ii) worsted wool fabrics and yarn used in the

manufacture of such apparel articles, and (iii) wool used in the production

of such fabrics and yarn.

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8. Section 504(b)(1) requires the President, on an annual basis, to consider

requests from domestic manufacturers of apparel products made of worsted

wool fabrics described in section 504(a) to modify the limitation on the

quantity of imports of worsted wool fabrics under headings 9902.51.11 and

9902.51.12 of the HTS.

9. Section 504(b)(3) of the Act authorizes the President, after taking into

account the market conditions set forth in section 504(b)(2) of the Act,

to modify the limitation on the quantity of imports of worsted wool fabrics

under headings 9902.51.11 and 9902.51.12 of the HTS, provided that any

such modification shall not exceed 1,000,000 square meter equivalents annually for each heading, and to proclaim any such modifications.

10. Section 504(c) requires the President to issue regulations to implement

the provisions of section 504.

11. I have determined that it is appropriate to authorize the Secretary of

Commerce (Secretary) to perform certain functions specified in sections

501(e) and 504(b) of the Act.

12. I have determined that it is appropriate to authorize the United States

Trade Representative (USTR) to perform certain functions specified in section

504(a) of the Act.

13. Sections 501 and 502 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the ‘‘1974

Act’’) (19 U.S.C. 2461 and 2462), authorize the President to designate countries as beneficiary developing countries and as least-developed beneficiary

developing countries for purposes of the Generalized System of Preferences

(GSP).

14. Pursuant to Executive Order 11888 of November 24, 1975, Western

Samoa was designated as a beneficiary developing country for purposes

of the GSP. I have determined that the designation of Western Samoa as

a beneficiary developing country under the GSP should be modified so

that the designation applies to Samoa. Furthermore, pursuant to section

502 of the 1974 Act, and having due regard for the eligibility criteria set

forth therein, I have determined that it is appropriate to designate Samoa

as a least-developed beneficiary developing country for purposes of the

GSP.

15. Proclamation 6425 of April 29, 1992, suspended the application of

duty-free treatment under the GSP for certain handloomed cotton fabrics

imported from India. On September 14, 2000, the United States Government

and the Government of India entered into a Memorandum of Understanding

in which the United States agreed to restore GSP treatment for certain

handloomed cotton fabrics. Pursuant to section 501 of the 1974 Act, I have

determined that it is appropriate to restore GSP treatment for these articles

to give effect to the Memorandum of Understanding.

16. Section 604 of the 1974 Act (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,

including the removal, modification, continuance, or imposition of any rate

of duty or other import restriction.

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 section 301 of

title 3, United States Code, title V of the Act, and sections 501, 502, and

604 of the 1974 Act, do proclaim that:

(1) In order to provide separate tariff treatment for the articles specified

in section 503(a) of the Act, the HTS is modified as provided in section

A of the Annex to this proclamation.

(2) In order to make conforming changes to take into account the new

permanent tariff categories established in section A of the Annex to this

proclamation, the HTS is further modified as provided in section B of

the Annex to this proclamation.

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(3) The Secretary is authorized to exercise the authority set forth in section

501(e) of the Act to allocate the quantity of imports of worsted wool fabrics

under headings 9902.51.11 and 9902.51.12. Any determination by the Secretary under this paragraph shall be set forth in a notice or notices that

the Secretary shall cause to be published in the Federal Register.

(4) The Secretary is authorized to monitor the most favored nation rate

of duty applicable to imports into Canada of worsted wool fabrics of the

kind classified under heading 9902.51.12 of the HTS and shall notify the

President of any reduction, effective on or after May 18, 2000, in the Canadian

most favored nation rate of duty on such imports. The Secretary shall

cause to be published in the Federal Register a notice describing any such

reduction.

(5) The Secretary is authorized to exercise the authority set forth in section

504(b)(1) of the Act to consider, on an annual basis, requests from domestic

manufacturers of apparel products made of worsted wool fabrics described

in section 504(a) to modify the limitation on the quantity of imports of

worsted wool fabrics under headings 9902.51.11 and 9902.51.12 of the HTS.

(6) The Secretary is authorized to determine, under section 504(b)(3) of

the Act, whether the limitation on the quantity of imports of worsted wool

fabrics under headings 9902.51.11 and 9902.51.12 of the HTS should be

modified and to recommend to the President that appropriate modifications

be made.

(7) The Secretary is authorized to issue regulations to implement the

provisions of sections 501 and 504(b) of the Act, the implementation of

which have been delegated to the Secretary pursuant to paragraphs 3, 4,

5, and 6 of this proclamation.

(8) The USTR is authorized to exercise the authority set forth in section

504(a) of the Act to monitor market conditions in the United States for

the worsted wool articles specified in that section.

(9) In order to reflect a change in the name of a designated beneficiary

developing country for purposes of the GSP, general note 4(a) to the HTS

is modified by striking ‘‘Western Samoa’’ and by inserting in alphabetical

sequence in lieu thereof ‘‘Samoa’’ in the enumeration of independent beneficiary developing countries.

(10) Samoa is designated as a least-developed beneficiary developing country for purposes of the GSP and title V of the 1974 Act. In order to reflect

such designation, general note 4(b)(i) to the HTS, enumerating those countries

designated as least-developed beneficiary developing countries for purposes

of the GSP, is modified by inserting in alphabetical sequence ‘‘Samoa.’’

(11) In order to provide that India is again treated as a beneficiary developing country with respect to certain certified handloomed cotton fabrics

for purposes of the GSP program, the HTS is modified as provided in

section C of the Annex to this proclamation.

(12) 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.

(13) This proclamation is effective on the date of signature of this proclamation, except that the designation of Samoa as a least-developed beneficiary

developing country shall be effective with respect to articles entered, or

withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the date that is

60 days from the date of publication of this proclamation in the Federal

Register.

76554 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 235 / Wednesday, December 6, 2000 / Presidential Documents

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of

December, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence

of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.

Billing code 3195–01–P

œ–

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[FR Doc. 00–31229

Filed 12–5–00; 8:45 am]

Billing code 3190–01–C