To Implement the 2004 United States-Israel Agreement on Trade in Agricultural Products

This proclamation implements a 2004 U.S.-Israel agreement on agricultural trade by modifying the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to allow specified quantities of Israeli agricultural products into the U.S. duty-free through December 31, 2008. It supersedes inconsistent prior proclamations and executive orders, with tariff treatment effective retroactively to January 1, 2004.

Federal Register Open PDF 69 FR 60279

Impact dates

Dec 31, 2008
Tariff treatment expires; duty-free access closes
Jan 1, 2004
HTS modifications effective for goods entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption

Key directives

Modify HTS as provided in Annex to implement 2004 U.S.-Israel agricultural trade agreement
Provide duty-free or reduced-fee access for specified quantities of Israeli agricultural products
Supersede inconsistent provisions of prior proclamations and Executive Orders

Timeline

Immediate

HTS modifications take effect for goods entered/withdrawn on or after January 1, 2004 (retroactive application)

Near term (90d)

—

Long term

Duty-free access continues through December 31, 2008
Potential renegotiation or expiration of tariff treatment after 2008

Risks & tensions

Retroactive effective date (January 1, 2004) may create administrative complexity for customs refunds or adjustments
Supersession clause breadth is vague—does not specify which prior proclamations/EOs are affected
Limited duration through 2008 creates policy uncertainty for long-term agricultural trade planning