For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 1, 2004
Message to the Congress of the United States
To the Congress of the United States:
Consistent with section 502(f) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended
(the "Act"), I am writing to inform you of my intent to designate
Algeria as a beneficiary developing country and to terminate the
designation of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahrain, the Czech
Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia as
beneficiary developing countries for purposes of the Generalized System
of Preferences (GSP).
I have considered the criteria set forth in sections 501 and 502 of
the Act. In light of these criteria, I have deter-mined that it is
appropriate to extend GSP benefits to Algeria. I have also determined
that Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, and Bahrain have become "high
income" countries, and I therefore terminate their designation as
beneficiary developing countries effective January 1, 2006.
Furthermore, consistent with the Act's prohibition on designation of
European Union member states as beneficiary developing countries, I am
terminating such designation for the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary,
Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia when they become European Union
member states.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 1, 2004.
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