Proclamation 4980—Staged Reduction of Rates of Duty on Certain Products To Carry Out a Trade Agreement

1. Pursuant to section 124(a) of the Trade Act of 1974 (the Trade Act) (19 U.S.C. 2134(a)), I determined that certain existing duties of the United States are unduly burdening and restricting the foreign trade of the United States and that the purposes of the Trade Act would be promoted by entering into the trade agreement identified in the third recital of this Proclamation.

2. Sections 131(a), 132, 133, 134, 135, and 161(b) of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2151(a), 2152, 2153, 2154, 2155, and 2211(b)) have been complied with.

3. On December 31, 1981, pursuant to section 124 of the Trade Act and to section 6(b) of the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3305(b)), my duly empowered representative entered into a trade agreement with the entity recognized by the President in section 1-204 of Executive Order 12143 of June 22, 1979 (22 U.S.C. 3301 note). The trade agreement provides that the rates of duty on certain products would be modified as hereinafter proclaimed and as provided for in Annex I to this proclamation, in exchange for certain measures which will benefit United States interests.

4. Pursuant to the Trade Act, I determine that the modifications or continuance of existing duties hereinafter proclaimed are required or appropriate to carry out the trade agreement identified in the third recital of this proclamation.

Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, acting under the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the statutes, including but not limited to sections 124 and 604 of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2134 and 2483), do proclaim that:

(1) The column i rates of duty applicable to articles provided for in items 141.78, 725.32, 734.10, 734.15, 734.87, 735.09, 735.20 and 772.35 of the Tariff Schedules of the United States (TSUS) (19 U.S.C. 1202) are modified as provided in Annex I to this proclamation.

(2) Annex III to Presidential Proclamation 4707 of December 11, 1979, and Annex III of Presidential Proclamation 4768 of June 28, 1980, are superseded to the extent inconsistent with this proclamation.

(3) Whenever the column 1 rate of duty in the TSUS for any item specified in Annex I to this proclamation is reduced to the same level as, or to a lower level than, the corresponding rate of duty in the column entitled "LDDC" in the TSUS for such item, the rate of duty in the column entitled "LDDC" for such item shall be deleted from the TSUS.

(4) Each of the modifications made by this proclamation shall be effective as to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on and after September 30, 1982.

In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of Sept. in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eightytwo, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and seventh.

RONALD REAGAN