Proc. 8098 Title 3--The President IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of the Inde- pendence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-first. GEORGE W. BUSH Proclamation 8098 of December 29, 2006 To Take Certain Actions Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the Generalized System of Preferences By the President of the United States of Arnerica 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), au- thorizes 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), as well as the eligi- bility 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 eligi- bility requirements. 3. Section 112(b)(3)(B) of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3721(b)(3)(B)) provides spe- cial rules for certain apparel articles imported from "lesser developed bene- ficiary sub-Saharan African countries." 4. Pursuant to section 104 of the AGOA and section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act, I have determined that the Republic of Liberia (Liberia) meets the eli- gibility requirements set forth or referenced therein, and I have decided to designate Liberia as an eligible sub-Saharan African country and as a bene- ficiary sub-Saharan African country. 5. I further determine that Liberia satisfies the criterion for treatment as a "lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African country" under section 112(b)(3)(B) of the AGOA. 6. 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 and to designate any beneficiary developing country as a least-developed beneficiary developing country, for purposes of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. 7. Section 502(b)(1)(C) of the 1974 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. 8. Section 507(2) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2467(2)) provides that in the case of an association of countries that is a free trade area or customs union, or that is contributing to a comprehensive regional economic inte- gration among its members through appropriate means, the President may 206
�
