To Modify Duty-Free Treatment Under the Generalized System of Preferences and for Other Purposes, 60247-60256 [2015-25468]

Agencies

• Executive Office of the President

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 192 (Monday, October 5, 2015)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 60247-60256]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25468]



[[Page 60247]]

Vol. 80

Monday,

No. 192

October 5, 2015

Part II





The President





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Proclamation 9333--To Modify Duty-Free Treatment Under the Generalized 
System of Preferences and for Other Purposes



Proclamation 9334--National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 2015



Proclamation 9335--National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, 2015



Proclamation 9336--National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 2015



Proclamation 9337--National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, 2015



Proclamation 9338--National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, 2015



Proclamation 9339--National Youth Justice Awareness Month, 2015



Executive Order 13708--Continuance or Reestablishment of Certain 
Federal Advisory Committees


                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 192 / Monday, October 5, 2015 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 60249]]

                Proclamation 9333 of September 30, 2015

                
To Modify Duty-Free Treatment Under the 
                Generalized System of Preferences and for Other 
                Purposes

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                1. Pursuant to sections 501 and 503(a)(1)(B) of the 
                Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the ``1974 Act'') (19 
                U.S.C. 2461 and 2463(a)(1)(B)), the President may 
                designate certain articles as eligible for preferential 
                tariff treatment under the Generalized System of 
                Preferences (GSP) when imported from a least-developed 
                beneficiary developing country if, after receiving the 
                advice of the United States International Trade 
                Commission (the ``Commission''), the President 
                determines that such articles are not import-sensitive 
                in the context of imports from least-developed 
                beneficiary developing countries.

                2. Pursuant to sections 501, 503(a)(1)(B), and 
                503(b)(5) of the 1974 Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2461, 
                2463(a)(1)(B), and 2463(b)(5)), and after receiving 
                advice from the Commission in accordance with section 
                503(e) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(e)), I have 
                determined to designate certain articles as eligible 
                articles when imported from a least-developed 
                beneficiary developing country.

                3. Section 503(c)(2)(C) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
                2463(c)(2)(C)) provides that a country that is no 
                longer treated as a beneficiary developing country with 
                respect to an eligible article may be redesignated as a 
                beneficiary developing country with respect to such 
                article, subject to the considerations set forth in 
                sections 501 and 502 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2461 
                and 2462), if imports of such article from such country 
                did not exceed the competitive need limitations in 
                section 503(c)(2)(A) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
                2463(c)(2)(A)) during the preceding calendar year.

                4. Pursuant to section 503(c)(2)(C) of the 1974 Act, 
                and having taken into account the considerations set 
                forth in sections 501 and 502 of the 1974 Act, I have 
                determined to redesignate certain countries as 
                beneficiary developing countries with respect to 
                certain eligible articles that previously had been 
                imported in quantities exceeding the competitive need 
                limitations of section 503(c)(2)(A) of the 1974 Act.

                5. Section 503(d)(4)(B)(ii) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
                2463(d)(4)(B)(ii)) provides that the President should 
                revoke any waiver of the application of the competitive 
                need limitations that has been in effect with respect 
                to an article for 5 years or more if the beneficiary 
                developing country has exported to the United States 
                during the preceding calendar year an amount that 
                exceeds the quantity set forth in section 
                503(d)(4)(B)(ii)(I) or section 503(d)(4)(B)(ii)(II) of 
                the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(d)(4)(B)(ii)(I) and 19 
                U.S.C. 2463(d)(4)(B)(ii)(II)).

                6. Pursuant to section 503(d)(4)(B)(ii) of the 1974 
                Act, I have determined that in 2014 certain beneficiary 
                developing countries exported eligible articles for 
                which a waiver has been in effect for 5 years or more 
                in quantities exceeding the applicable limitation set 
                forth in section 503(d)(4)(B)(ii)(I) or section 
                503(d)(4)(B)(ii)(II) of the 1974 Act, and I therefore 
                revoke said waivers.

                7. Section 503(c)(2)(F)(i) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
                2463(c)(2)(F)(i)) provides that the President may 
                disregard the competitive need limitation provided

[[Page 60250]]

                in section 503(c)(2)(A)(i)(II) of the 1974 Act (19 
                U.S.C. 2463(c)(2)(A)(i)(II)) with respect to any 
                eligible article from any beneficiary developing 
                country, if the aggregate appraised value of the 
                imports of such article into the United States during 
                the preceding calendar year does not exceed an amount 
                set forth in section 503(c)(2)(F)(ii) of the 1974 Act 
                (19 U.S.C. 2463(c)(2)(F)(ii)).

                8. Pursuant to section 503(c)(2)(F)(i) of the 1974 Act, 
                I have determined that the competitive need limitation 
                provided in section 503(c)(2)(A)(i)(II) of the 1974 Act 
                should be disregarded with respect to certain eligible 
                articles from certain beneficiary developing countries.

                9. Section 503(d)(1) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
                2463(d)(1)) provides that the President may waive the 
                application of the competitive need limitations in 
                section 503(c)(2) of the 1974 Act with respect to any 
                eligible article from any beneficiary developing 
                country if certain conditions are met.

                10. Pursuant to section 503(d)(1) of the 1974 Act, I 
                have received the advice of the Commission on whether 
                any industry in the United States is likely to be 
                adversely affected by waivers of the competitive need 
                limitations provided in section 503(c)(2) of the 1974 
                Act, and I have determined, based on that advice and on 
                the considerations described in sections 501 and 502(c) 
                of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2461 and 2462(c)) and after 
                giving great weight to the considerations in section 
                503(d)(2) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(d)(2)), that 
                such waivers are in the national economic interest of 
                the United States. Accordingly, I have determined that 
                the competitive need limitations of section 503(c)(2) 
                of the 1974 Act should be waived with respect to 
                certain eligible articles from certain beneficiary 
                developing countries.

                11. Section 502(e) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2462(e)) 
                provides that the President shall terminate the 
                designation of a country as a beneficiary developing 
                country 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.

                12. Pursuant to section 502(e) of the 1974 Act, I have 
                determined that Seychelles, Uruguay, and Venezuela have 
                become ``high income'' countries. Accordingly, I am 
                terminating the designation of these countries as 
                beneficiary developing countries for purposes of the 
                GSP, effective January 1, 2017, and I will so notify 
                the Congress under section 502(f) of the 1974 Act (19 
                U.S.C. 2462(f)).

                13. Section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 
                2466a(a)(1)) authorizes the President to designate a 
                country listed in section 107 of the African Growth and 
                Opportunity Act (AGOA) (19 U.S.C. 3706) as a 
                beneficiary sub-Saharan African country eligible for 
                the benefits described in section 506A(b) of the 1974 
                Act (19 U.S.C. 2466a(b)), 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, subject to the authority granted to the 
                President under subsections (a), (d), and (e) of 
                section 502 of the 1974 Act.

                14. Pursuant to section 502(e) of the 1974 Act, I have 
                determined that Seychelles has become a ``high income'' 
                country and its designation as a beneficiary sub-
                Saharan African country is no longer within the 
                authority granted to the President under section 502 of 
                the 1974 Act. Accordingly, pursuant to section 
                506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(1)), I 
                have determined that Seychelles is no longer eligible 
                for benefits as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African 
                country for the purpose of section 506A of the 1974 
                Act, effective January 1, 2017.

                15. 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

[[Page 60251]]

                affecting import treatment, and actions thereunder, 
                including removal, modification, continuance, or 
                imposition of any rate of duty or other import 
                restriction.

                16. The short form name of ``Macedonia, Former Yugoslav 
                Republic of'' has been changed to ``Macedonia,'' and I 
                have determined that general note 4(a) to the HTS 
                should be modified to reflect this change.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States of America, including but not limited to 
                title V and section 604 of the 1974 Act, do proclaim 
                that:

                (1) In order to designate certain articles as eligible 
                articles only when imported from a least-developed 
                beneficiary developing country for purposes of the GSP, 
                the Rates of Duty 1-Special subcolumn for the 
                corresponding HTS subheadings is modified as set forth 
                in section A of Annex I to this proclamation.

                (2) In order to redesignate certain articles as 
                eligible articles for purposes of the GSP, the Rates of 
                Duty 1-Special subcolumn for the corresponding HTS 
                subheadings and general note 4(d) to the HTS are 
                modified as set forth in section B of Annex I to this 
                proclamation.

                (3) In order to provide that one or more countries 
                should no longer be treated as beneficiary developing 
                countries with respect to one or more eligible articles 
                for purposes of the GSP, the Rates of Duty 1-Special 
                subcolumn for the corresponding HTS subheadings and 
                general note 4(d) to the HTS are modified as set forth 
                in section C of Annex I to this proclamation.

                (4) In order to reflect the change in the name of the 
                Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, general note 
                4(a) to the HTS is modified as provided in section D of 
                Annex I to this proclamation.

                (5) The modifications to the HTS set forth in Annex I 
                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 the 
                relevant sections of Annex I.

                (6) The competitive need limitation provided in section 
                503(c)(2)(A)(i)(II) of the 1974 Act is disregarded with 
                respect to the eligible articles in the HTS subheadings 
                and to the beneficiary developing countries listed in 
                Annex II to this proclamation, effective October 1, 
                2015.

                (7) A waiver of the application of section 503(c)(2) of 
                the 1974 Act shall apply to the articles in the HTS 
                subheadings and to the beneficiary developing countries 
                set forth in Annex III to this proclamation, effective 
                October 1, 2015.

                (8) The designation of Seychelles as a beneficiary 
                developing country for purposes of the GSP is 
                terminated, effective on January 1, 2017.

                (9) In order to reflect this termination in the HTS, 
                general note 4(a) to the HTS is modified by deleting 
                ``Seychelles'' from the list of independent countries, 
                effective with respect to articles entered, or 
                withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 
                January 1, 2017.

                (10) The designation of Seychelles as a beneficiary 
                sub-Saharan African country for purposes of the AGOA is 
                terminated, effective on January 1, 2017.

                (11) In order to reflect this termination in the HTS, 
                general note 16(a) to the HTS is modified by deleting 
                ``Republic of Seychelles'' from the list of beneficiary 
                sub-Saharan African countries, effective with respect 
                to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for 
                consumption, on or after January 1, 2017.

                (12) The designation of Uruguay as a beneficiary 
                developing country for purposes of the GSP is 
                terminated, effective on January 1, 2017.

[[Page 60252]]

                (13) In order to reflect this termination in the HTS, 
                general note 4(a) to the HTS is modified by deleting 
                ``Uruguay'' from the list of independent countries, 
                effective with respect to articles entered, or 
                withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 
                January 1, 2017.

                (14) The designation of Venezuela as a beneficiary 
                developing country for purposes of the GSP is 
                terminated, effective on January 1, 2017.

                (15) In order to reflect this termination in the HTS, 
                general note 4(a) to the HTS is modified by deleting 
                ``Venezuela'' from the list of independent countries, 
                effective with respect to articles entered, or 
                withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 
                January 1, 2017. In addition, the Rates of Duty 1-
                Special subcolumn for the corresponding HTS subheadings 
                and general note 4(d) to the HTS are modified as set 
                forth in section E of Annex I to this proclamation, 
                effective on such date.

                (16) 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 
                thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

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[FR Doc. 2015-25468
Filed 10-2-15; 11:15 am]
Billing code 7020-02-C