Proclamation 4642—Quantitative Limitation on the Importation of Certain Meat

The Act of August 22, 1964 (78 Stat. 594; 19 U.S.C. 1202 note), provides for the limitation of certain meat imports if import estimates exceed 110 percent of an adjusted base quantity for that year. The limitation applies to fresh, chilled, or frozen cattle meat and fresh, chilled, or frozen meat of goats and sheep, except lamb.

The Secretary of Agriculture has determined in accordance with Section 2(b) (1) of the Act that the adjusted base quantity of meat for the calendar year 1979 is 1131.6 million pounds. The Secretary has estimated (in the 1979 first quarterly estimate, 44 FR 1202) that the aggregate imports of meat for 1979 will be 1570.0 million pounds. This estimate exceeds 110 percent of the adjusted base quantity for 1979.

In accordance with Section 2 (c) of the Act, the President must limit the import of meat to the adjusted base quantity for 1979 of 1131.6 million pounds, unless he increases or suspends that limitation pursuant to Section 2 (d) of the Act.

Now, Therefore, I, Jimmy Carter, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by Section 2 of the Act, do hereby proclaim as follows:

1. The total quantity of the articles specified in item 106.10 (relating to fresh, chilled, or frozen meat) and item 106.20 (relating to fresh, chilled, or frozen meat of goats and sheep (except lamb) ) of part 2B, schedule 1 of the Tariff Schedules of the United States, which may be entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption during the calendar year 1979, is limited to 1131.6 million pounds.

2. In accordance with Section 2(d) of the Act, I determine that the supply of meat described in Paragraph 1 hereof will be inadequate to meet domestic demand at reasonable prices.

3. The limitation proclaimed in Paragraph 1 hereof is suspended during calendar year 1979, which suspension shall remain in effect unless because of changed circumstances it becomes necessary to take further action under the Act, and I hereby determine that the suspension for such period is necessary in order to carry out the purposes of Section 2 (d) of the Act.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and third.

JIMMY CARTER