Executive Order 12204—Generalized System of Preferences

AMENDING THE GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the United States of America, including Title V of the Trade Act of 1974 (88 Stat. 2066, 19 U.S.C. 2461 et seq.), as amended by Section 1111 of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (93 Stat. 315), Section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974 (88 Stat. 2073, 19 U.S.C. 2483), and Section 503(a) (2) (A) of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (93 Stat. 251), and as President of the United States of America, in order to modify, as provided by Section 504(c) of the Trade Act of 1974 (88 Stat. 2070, 19 U.S.C. 2464(c) ), the limitations on preferential treatment for eligible articles from countries designated as beneficiary developing countries, to adjust the original designation of eligible articles taking into account information and advice received in fulfillment of Sections 503(a) and 131-134 of the Trade Act of 1974 (88 Stat. 2069, 19 U.S.C. 2463; 88 Stat. 1994, 19 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) and to modify the designations of beneficiary developing countries in accord with my notifications to the Congress of September 28, 1979. and March 3, 1980, and in accord with technical changes in the identification of certain beneficiary developing countries, it is hereby ordered as follows:

SECTION 1. In order to subdivide existing items for purposes of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), the Tariff Schedules of the United States (TSUS) (19 U.S.C. 1202) are modified as provided in Annex I, attached hereto and made a part hereof.

SEC. 2. Annex II of Executive Order No. 11888 of November 24, 1975, as amended, listing articles that are eligible for benefits of the GSP when imported from any designated beneficiary developing country, is amended by substituting therefor the new Annex II attached hereto and made a part hereof.

SEC. 3. Annex III of Executive Order No. 11888, as amended, listing articles that are eligible for benefits of the GSP when imported from all designated beneficiary countries except those specified in General Headnote 3 (c) (iii) of the TSUS, is amended by substituting therefor the new Annex III, attached hereto and made a part hereof.

SEC. 4. General Headnote 3(c)(iii) of the TSUS, listing articles that are eligible for benefits of the GSP except when imported from the beneficiary countries listed opposite those articles, is amended by substituting therefor the General Headnote 3(c) (iii) set forth in Annex IV, attached hereto and made a part hereof.

SEC. 5. General Headnote 3(c)(i) of the TSUS is modified—

(a) by deleting from the list therein of independent countries designated as beneficiary developing countries for purposes of the GSP "Afghanistan", in order to withdraw from Afghanistan the status of a beneficiary of the GSP,

(b) by deleting from the same list, "Ethiopia", in order to withdraw from Ethiopia the status of a beneficiary of the GSP,

(c) by adding, in alphabetical order, to that list of independent countries "Ecuador", "Indonesia", "Uganda", and "Venezuela", and to the list of designated nonindependent countries and territories "Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe)", in order to designate these same countries as beneficiaries of the GSP, and

(d) (i) by deleting from the list of designated beneficiary nonindependent countries and territories "Dominica", "Gilbert Islands", "Saint Lucia", "Saint Vincent", and "Tuvalu", and

(ii) by adding, in alphabetical order, "Dominica", "Kiribati", "Saint Lucia", "Saint Vincent and the Grenadines", and "Tuvalu" to the list of designated independent countries.

SEC. 6. General Headnote 3(d)(i) of the TSUS is modified-

(a) by deleting from the list of least developed developing countries (LDDC's) "Afghanistan",

(b) by deleting from the same list "Ethiopia",

(c) by adding, in alphabetical order, "Uganda" to that list.

SEC. 7. In order to provide staged reductions in the rates of duty for those new TSUS items created by Annex I to this Order, Annex III to Presidential Proclamation 4707 of December 13, 1979, is amended by Annex V to this Order, attached hereto and made a part hereof.

SEC. 8. In order to provide special treatment for the least developed developing countries (LDDC's) with regard to TSUS items 727.11 and 727.12, Annex IV of Presidential Proclamation 4707 of December 13, 1979, is amended by Annex VI to this Order, attached hereto and made a part hereof.

SEC. 9. Whenever the column 1 rate of duty in the TSUS for any item specified in Annex I to this Order is reduced to the same level as the corresponding rate of duty inserted in the column entitled "LDDC" by Annexes I or VI of this Order, the rate of duty in the column entitled "LDDC" for such item shall be deleted from the TSUS.

SEC. 10. Annexes III and IV of Presidential Proclamation 4707 of December 13, 1979, are superseded to the extent inconsistent with this Order.

SEC. 11. Effective March 31, 1981, Annex II to Executive Order No. 11888, as amended, is further amended by adding, in numerical sequence, the following TSUS item numbers, created by section (B) of Annex I of this Order: 740.11, 740.12, 740.13, 740.14, and 740.15. Also effective March 31, 1981, Annex III to Executive Order No. 11888, as amended, is further amended by deleting current TSUS item 740.10.

SEC. 12. The modifications to the TSUS made by Annex I of this Order shall be effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on and after the effective dates specified therein.

SEC. 13. The amendments made by Annexes II, III, and IV of this Order, and the modifications made to General Headnotes 3(c) (i) and 3(d) (i) of the TSUS by sections 5(c) and 5(d) and section 6(c), of this Order, respectively, shall be effective with respect to articles both: (1) imported on and after January 1, 1976, and (2) entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on and after March 30, 1980.

SEC. 14. (a) The amendments made by Sections 5 (a) and 6 (a) of this Order shall be effective on May 2, 1980.

(b) The amendments made by Sections 5(b) and 6(b) of this Order shall be effective on the date of publication of this Order in the FEDERAL REGISTER.

SEC. 15. The amendments made by Annexes V and VI of this Order shall be effective on March 30, 1980.

JIMMY CARTER

The White House,

March 27, 1980.

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 12:33 p.m., March 27, 1980]