Determination Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)

• Published date: 21 July 2020
• Citation: 85 FR 44140
• Record Number: 2020-15730
• Section: Notices
• Court: Trade Representative Office Of The United States

Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 140 (Tuesday, July 21, 2020)

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 140 (Tuesday, July 21, 2020)]
                [Notices]
                [Pages 44140-44141]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2020-15730]
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                OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
                Determination Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)
                AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
                ACTION: Notice.
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                SUMMARY: The U.S. Trade Representative has determined that Mali has
                adopted an effective visa system and related procedures to prevent the
                unlawful transshipment of textile and apparel articles and the use of
                counterfeit documents in connection with the shipment of such articles,
                and has implemented and follows, or is making substantial progress
                towards implementing and following, the custom procedures required by
                the
                [[Page 44141]]
                African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Therefore, imports of
                eligible products from Mali qualify for the textile and apparel
                benefits provided under the AGOA.
                DATES: This notice is applicable August 4, 2020.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Constance Hamilton, Assistant United
                States Trade Representative for Africa at
                [email protected] or (202) 395-9514.
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The AGOA (Title I of the Trade and
                Development Act of 2000, Pub. L. 106-200, as amended) provides
                preferential tariff treatment for imports of certain textile and
                apparel products of beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries. The
                textile and apparel trade benefits under the AGOA are available to
                imports of eligible products from countries that the President
                designates as beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries, provided that
                these countries: (1) Have adopted an effective visa system and related
                procedures to prevent the unlawful transshipment of textile and apparel
                articles and the use of counterfeit documents in connection with
                shipment of such articles, and (2) have implemented and follow, or are
                making substantial progress towards implementing and following, certain
                customs procedures that assist U.S. Customs and Border Protection in
                verifying the origin of the products.
                 In Proclamation 9072 dated December 23, 2013, the President
                designated Mali as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country and in
                Proclamation 9555 of October 25, 2019, proclaimed, for the purposes of
                section 112(c) of the AGOA, that Mali should be considered a lesser
                developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African country.
                 In Proclamation 7350 of October 2, 2000, the President authorized
                the U.S. Trade Representative to perform the function of determining
                whether eligible sub-Saharan countries have met the two requirements
                described above. The President directed the U.S. Trade Representative
                to announce determinations in the Federal Register and to implement
                them through modifications in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the
                United States (HTSUS).
                 Based on the actions Mali has taken, the U.S. Trade Representative
                has determined that Mali has satisfied the two requirements for
                eligibility for textile and apparel benefits under the AGOA. No
                modifications to the HTSUS are necessary in order to implement this
                determination. Imports claiming preferential tariff treatment under the
                AGOA for entries of textile and apparel articles should ensure that
                those entries meet the applicable visa requirements. See Visa
                Requirements Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, 66 FR 7837
                (January 25, 2001).
                Edward Gresser,
                Chair of the Trade Policy Staff Committee, Office of the United States
                Trade Representative.
                [FR Doc. 2020-15730 Filed 7-20-20; 8:45 am]
                BILLING CODE 3290-F0-P