Letter to the Speaker of the House and the President Of the Senate on the Designation of Least-Developed Beneficiary Developing Countries

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)

Pursuant to section 504(c)(6)(B)(ii) of Title V of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the Act), I wish to inform you of my intent to designate the following 32 countries as least-developed beneficiary developing countries for the purposes of the Generalized System of Preferences Program (GSP):

Bangladesh Lesotho

Benin Malawi

Bhutan Maidives

Botswana Mali

Burkina Faso Nepal

Burundi Niger

Cape Verde Rwanda

Central African Sao Tome and Principe

Republic Sierra Leone

Chad Somalia

Comoros Sudan

Djibouti Tanzania

Equatorial Guinea Togo

Gambia Uganda

Guinea Western Samoa

Guinea-Bissau Yemen Arab Republic

Haiti (Sanaa)

GSP beneficiary countries that are designated as least-developed beneficiary developing countries are exempt from competitive need limits imposed under section 504(c) of the Act.

Section 504(c)(6)(B)(i) of the Act requires that on or before July 4, 1985, and periodically thereafter, the President make a determination based on the considerations listed in sections 501 and 502(c) of the Act, as to which current GSP beneficiary countries qualify as least-developed beneficiary countries. Among the considerations listed in sections 501 and 502(c) is the level of economic development of a beneficiary as indicated by per capita GNP, the general living standard of its inhabitants and other economic factors that the President deems appropriate. Section 504(c)(6)(B)(ii) of the Act requires that the President notify the Congress of his intent to designate a beneficiary country as a least-developed beneficiary country at least 60 days before such determination becomes final.

I have determined that the 32 countries listed above qualify as least-developed nations. The list includes all those countries now eligible for GSP under the U.S. program and recognized by the United Nations as least-developed countries.

In order to insure that Congress has a full 60-day period in which to review this decision prior to its implementation, the designation with respect to the 32 GSP beneficiary countries will not become effective until the statutory deadline of July 4, 1985, contained in section 504(c)(6)(B)(ii) of the Act.

Sincerely,

RONALD REAGAN