ExecutiveOrdersEO
Proc 8921ProclamationObama · D Quiet signal

Proclamation 8921

To Take Certain Actions Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act and for Other Purposes

This proclamation designates South Sudan as a beneficiary under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), terminates Mali and Guinea-Bissau's AGOA benefits effective January 1, 2013, terminates Saint Kitts and Nevis's GSP benefits effective January 1, 2014, extends U.S.-Israel agricultural tariff preferences through December 31, 2013, and makes several technical corrections to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule related to free trade agreements with Chile, Korea, and Panama.

Federal Register Open PDF 77 FR 76799

Impact dates

  1. Saint Kitts and Nevis GSP termination effective

  2. U.S.-Israel agricultural tariff preferences under 2004 Agreement expire

  3. Mali and Guinea-Bissau AGOA termination effective; Israel agricultural HTS modifications effective

Key directives

  • Designate Republic of South Sudan as eligible and beneficiary sub-Saharan African country under AGOA
  • Terminate Mali and Guinea-Bissau as beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries effective January 1, 2013
  • Terminate Saint Kitts and Nevis as GSP beneficiary developing country effective January 1, 2014
  • Modify HTS to implement U.S.-Israel agricultural tariff commitments through December 31, 2013
  • Modify HTS rules of origin under U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement
  • Correct technical error in HTS subheading numbers at general note 4(d)
  • Correct typographical error in Korea FTA tariff treatment at general note 33
  • Amend Proclamation 8894 to replace 'Colombia' with 'Panama'

Timeline

Immediate

  • Proclamation signed December 20, 2012

Near term (90d)

  • Mali and Guinea-Bissau AGOA termination effective January 1, 2013
  • Israel agricultural tariff modifications effective January 1, 2013
  • HTS technical corrections effective

Long term

  • Saint Kitts and Nevis GSP termination effective January 1, 2014
  • U.S.-Israel agricultural agreement expires December 31, 2013 unless replaced

Risks & tensions

  • Mali and Guinea-Bissau terminations follow political instability/coups, reflecting tension between AGOA eligibility criteria and geopolitical realities
  • Short 12-day implementation window for Mali/Guinea-Bissau termination and Israel tariff changes may create compliance challenges for traders
  • U.S.-Israel agricultural agreement extension through 2013 leaves unresolved need for permanent replacement agreement
Proclamation 8921: To Take Certain Actions Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act and for Other Purposes · Executive Orders