On December 26, 2019, President Trump signed Proclamation 9974 of December 26, 2019 To Take Certain Actions Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act and for Other Purposes. The Proclamation takes the following actions and modifies the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the US (HTS or HTSUS) as follows:

  • Terminates the designation of Cameroon as a beneficiary sub‑Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A of the Trade Act effective January 1, 2020;
  • Modifies GN 16(a), Note 7(a) to subchapter II, notes 1 and 2(d) to subchapter XIX of chapter 98 of the HTS to reflect that action;
  • Note 1 to subchapter XIX of Chapter 98 of the HTS is modified by deleting “Niger”, “Central African Republic”, and “The Gambia” from the list of beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries.  Further, note 7(a) to subchapter II of chapter 98 of the HTS is modified by deleting “Niger” from the list of beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries;
  • For purposes of section 112(c) of the AGOA, Guinea-Bissau and Niger are lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries;
  • Note 2(d) to subchapter XIX of chapter 98 of the HTS is modified by inserting in alphabetical sequence in the list of lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries “Guinea-Bissau” and “Niger”;

The above actions shall be effective with respect to articles that are entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 2020.

  • Modifies subchapter VIII of chapter 99 of the HTS to provide duty-free access into the United States through the close of December 31, 2020, for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel, as provided in Annex I of the proclamation;
  • Modifies tariffs on certain goods to carry out the Trade Agreement between the United States and Japan, as set forth in Annex II of the proclamation which shall be effective with respect to originating goods, as defined in the Trade Agreement between the United States and Japan, effective on the dates specified in Annex II and on any subsequent dates set forth for such duty reductions in Annex II;
  • Modifies Additional U.S. note 3 to chapter 2 of the HTS as specified in Annex III of the proclamation.  The modifications to the HTS set forth in Annex III of the proclamation shall be effective with respect to goods that are entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 2020; and
  • Modifies GN 26, the rules of origin under the USCFTA, as provided in Annex IV of the proclamation. The changes shall enter into effect on April 1, 2020.