Designation of eligible articles

Except as provided in subsection (b), the President is authorized to designate articles as eligible articles from all beneficiary developing countries for purposes of this subchapter by Executive order or Presidential proclamation after receiving the advice of the International Trade Commission in accordance with subsection (e). Except for articles described in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (E) of subsection (b)(1) and articles described in paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (b), the President may, in carrying out section 2462(d)(1) of this title and subsection (c)(1) of this section, designate articles as eligible articles only for countries designated as least-developed beneficiary developing countries under section 2462(a)(2) of this title if, after receiving the advice of the International Trade Commission in accordance with subsection (e) of this section, the President determines that such articles are not import-sensitive in the context of imports from least-developed beneficiary developing countries. If, after receiving the advice of the International Trade Commission under subsection (e), an article has been formally considered for designation as an eligible article under this subchapter and denied such designation, such article may not be reconsidered for such designation for a period of 3 years after such denial. The duty-free treatment provided under this subchapter shall apply to any eligible article which is the growth, product, or manufacture of a beneficiary developing country if— the sum of— An article shall not be treated as the growth, product, or manufacture of a beneficiary developing country by virtue of having merely undergone— The Secretary of the Treasury, after consulting with the United States Trade Representative, shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out paragraph (2), including, but not limited to, regulations providing that, in order to be eligible for duty-free treatment under this subchapter, an article— The President may not designate any article as an eligible article under subsection (a) if such article is within one of the following categories of import-sensitive articles: An article shall not be an eligible article for purposes of this subchapter for any period during which such article is the subject of any action proclaimed pursuant to section 2253 of this title or section 1862 or 1981 of this title. No quantity of an agricultural product subject to a tariff-rate quota that exceeds the in-quota quantity shall be eligible for duty-free treatment under this subchapter. Notwithstanding paragraph (1)(A), the President may designate as an eligible article or articles under subsection (a) carpets or rugs which are hand-loomed, hand-woven, hand-hooked, hand-tufted, or hand-knotted, and classifiable under subheading 5701.10.16, 5701.10.40, 5701.90.10, 5701.90.20, 5702.10.90, 5702.42.20, 5702.49.10, 5702.51.20, 5702.91.30, 5702.92.00, 5702.99.10, 5703.10.00, 5703.20.10, or 5703.30.00 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. Notwithstanding paragraph (3), the President may designate as an eligible article or articles under subsection (a)(1)(B) only for countries designated as least-developed beneficiary developing countries under section 2462(a)(2) of this title cotton articles classifiable under subheading 5201.00.18, 5201.00.28, 5201.00.38, 5202.99.30, or 5203.00.30 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. Notwithstanding subparagraph (A) or (E) of paragraph (1), the President may designate the following as eligible articles under subsection (a): The President may withdraw, suspend, or limit the application of the duty-free treatment accorded under this subchapter with respect to any article, except that no rate of duty may be established with respect to any article pursuant to this subsection other than the rate which would apply but for this subchapter. In taking any action under this subsection, the President shall consider the factors set forth in sections 2461 and 2462(c) of this title. Except as provided in clause (ii) and subject to subsection (d), whenever the President determines that a beneficiary developing country has exported (directly or indirectly) to the United States during any calendar year beginning after December 31, 1995— For purposes of applying clause (i), the applicable amount is— For purposes of this paragraph, the term “country” does not include an association of countries which is treated as one country under section 2467(2) of this title, but does include a country which is a member of any such association. A country which is no longer treated as a beneficiary developing country with respect to an eligible article by reason of subparagraph (A) may, subject to the considerations set forth in sections 2461 and 2462 of this title, be redesignated a beneficiary developing country with respect to such article if imports of such article from such country did not exceed the limitations in subparagraph (A) during the preceding calendar year. Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to any least-developed beneficiary developing country or any beneficiary sub-Saharan African country. Subparagraph (A)(i)(II) shall not apply with respect to any eligible article if a like or directly competitive article was not produced in the United States in any of the preceding 3 calendar years. The President may disregard subparagraph (A)(i)(II) with respect to any eligible article from any beneficiary developing country if the aggregate appraised value of the imports of such article into the United States during the preceding calendar year does not exceed the applicable amount for such preceding calendar year. For purposes of applying clause (i), the applicable amount is— The President may waive the application of subsection (c)(2) with respect to any eligible article of any beneficiary developing country if, before November 1 of the calendar year beginning after the calendar year for which a determination described in subsection (c)(2)(A) was made with respect to such eligible article, the President— In making any determination under paragraph (1), the President shall give great weight to— The President may waive the application of subsection (c)(2) if, before November 1 of the calendar year beginning after the calendar year for which a determination described in subsection (c)(2) was made with respect to a beneficiary developing country, the President determines that— The President may not exercise the waiver authority under this subsection with respect to a quantity of an eligible article entered during any calendar year beginning after 1995, the aggregate appraised value of which equals or exceeds 30 percent of the aggregate appraised value of all articles that entered duty-free under this subchapter during the preceding calendar year. The President may not exercise the waiver authority provided under this subsection with respect to a quantity of an eligible article entered during any calendar year beginning after 1995, the aggregate appraised value of which exceeds 15 percent of the aggregate appraised value of all articles that have entered duty-free under this subchapter during the preceding calendar year from those beneficiary developing countries which for the preceding calendar year— Not later than November 1 of each year, the President should revoke any waiver that has then been in effect with respect to an article for 5 years or more if the beneficiary developing country has exported to the United States (directly or indirectly) during the preceding calendar year a quantity of the article— There shall be counted against the limitations imposed under subparagraphs (A) and (B) for any calendar year only that value of any eligible article of any country that— Any waiver granted under this subsection shall remain in effect until the President determines that such waiver is no longer warranted due to changed circumstances. Before designating articles as eligible articles under subsection (a)(1), the President shall publish and furnish the International Trade Commission with lists of articles which may be considered for designation as eligible articles for purposes of this subchapter. The provisions of sections 2151, 2152, 2153, and 2154 of this title shall be complied with as though action under section 2461 of this title and this section were action under section 2133 of this title to carry out a trade agreement entered into under section 2133 of this title. No action under this subchapter may affect any tariff duty imposed by the Legislature of Puerto Rico pursuant to section 1319 of this title on coffee imported into Puerto Rico.