Agreement on Trade in Agricultural Products
(October 5, 2004)
In a proclamation issued October 2004, U.S. President George Bush officially extended the free-trade agreement with Israel to include trade in some agricultural produce. The extension sought to resolve differences over the access of some U.S. agricultural produce to Israel, and extended through 2008. It will allow some Israeli produce to enter the United States without tariffs. President Bush filed a further extension on agricultural trade in December 2008 that held until 2010.
1. On April 22, 1985, the United States entered into
the Agreement on the Establishment
of a Free Trade Area between the Government of the United States of
America and the Government of Israel (the "FTA"), which
the Congress approved in the United States-Israel Free Trade Area Implementation
Act of 1985 (the "FTA Act") (19 U.S.C. 2112 Note).
2. In order to maintain the general level of reciprocal
and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to agricultural trade
with Israel, on July 27, 2004, the Government of the United States entered
into an agreement with the Government of Israel concerning certain aspects
of trade in agricultural products during the period January 1, 2004,
through December 31, 2008 (the "2004 Agreement"). The 2004
Agreement reflects an effort by the United States and Israel to address,
through 2008, their continuing differences over the meaning of certain
provisions in the FTA governing access for United States agricultural
products to Israel's market.
3. Section 4(b) of the FTA Act provides that, whenever
the President determines that it is necessary to maintain the general
level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect
to Israel provided for by the FTA, the President may proclaim such withdrawal,
suspension, modification, or continuance of any duty, or such continuance
of existing duty-free or excise treatment, or such additional duties
as the President determines to be required or appropriate to carry out
the FTA.
4. Pursuant to section 4(b) of the FTA Act, I have
determined that it is necessary, in order to maintain the general level
of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to
Israel, to provide through the close of December 31, 2008, access into
the United States customs territory for specified quantities of certain
agricultural products of Israel free of duty or certain fees or other
import charges.
5. Section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C.
2483) (the "Trade Act") authorizes the President to embody
in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) the substance
of the relevant provisions of that act, and of other acts affecting
import treatment, and actions thereunder, including removal, modification,
continuance, or imposition of any rate of duty or other import restriction.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the
United States of America, acting under the authority vested in me by
the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section
4 of the FTA Act and section 604 of the Trade Act, do hereby proclaim:
(1) In order to implement aspects of the 2004 Agreement
with the Government of Israel, concerning certain aspects of trade in
agricultural products, the HTS is modified as provided in the Annex
to this proclamation.
(2) Any provisions of previous proclamations and Executive
Orders that are inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation
are superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.
(3) The modifications to the HTS made by the Annex
to this proclamation shall be effective with respect to goods that are
the product of Israel and are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for
consumption, on or after January 1, 2004, and the tariff treatment set
forth therein shall be effective as provided in such Annex through December
31, 2008.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and
of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred
and twenty-ninth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
Sources: The
White House |