Proclamation 6223—To Designate Nicaragua as a Beneficiary Country for Purposes of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act

1. Section 212 of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) (19 U.S.C. 2702), as amended, authorizes the President to designate the countries, territories, or successor political entities thereto that will be beneficiary countries for the purposes of the CBERA (19 U.S.C. 2701 et seq. ). Such countries are entitled to duty-free entry of eligible articles imported directly therefrom into the customs territory of the United States. Nicaragua has expressed its desire to be so designated and its intention to take steps to comply with all of the necessary criteria set forth in the CBERA.

2.         Pursuant to section 212(b) of the CBERA (19 U.S.C. 2702(b)), I have determined that the designation of Nicaragua as a beneficiary country will be in the national security interest of the United States, and have reported such determination to the Congress with the reasons therefor. In addition, pursuant to section 212(a) of the CBERA (19 U.S.C. 2702(a)), I have notified the House of Representatives and the Senate of my intention to designate Nicaragua as a beneficiary country and have communicated to them the considerations entering into my decision. Accordingly, pursuant to section 212(b) of the CBERA, and after taking into account the factors enumerated in section 212(c) of the CBERA (19 U.S.C. 2702(c)), I hereby designate Nicaragua as a beneficiary country for purposes of the CBERA.

3.         Section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974 (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, of other acts affecting import treatment, and of actions taken thereunder.

Now, Therefore, I, George Bush, President of the United States of America, acting under the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including but not limited to sections 211 through 213 of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, as amended by the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Expansion Act of 1990, and section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, do proclaim that:

(1)        In order to designate Nicaragua as a beneficiary country for the purposes of the CBERA, general note 3(c)(v)(A) to the HTS, listing those countries designated as beneficiary countries under the CBERA, is modified by inserting in alphabetical sequence "Nicaragua".

(2)        The modifications made by this proclamation shall be effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, in the customs territory of the United States on or after the date of publication of this proclamation in the Federal Register.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifteenth.

GEORGE BUSH