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 Proclamations Proc. 7554 Proclamation 7554 of May 3, 2002 To Extend Duty-Free Treatment for Certain A\365ricu]tura] Products of Israe] By the President o/the United States o/America A Prodamation \177. 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 Implementa- tion Act of 1985 (the "FTA Act") (\1779 U.S.C. 2\1772 Note). 2. On November 4, \177996, the United States entered into an agreement with Israel concerning certain aspects of trade in agricultural products, effective from December 4, 1996, through December 3% 200\177 (the "\177996 Agree- ment"), in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to agricultural trade with Israel while acknowledging differing interpretations regarding the meaning of cer- tain rights and obligations in the FTA as to such trade. 3. Section 4(b) of the FTA Act provides that, whenever the President deter- mines 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, modi- fication, or continuance of any duty, or such continuance of existing duty- free or excise treatment, or such additional duties as the President deter- mines to be required or appropriate to carry out the FTA. 4. Pursuant to section 4(b) of the FTA Act, President Clinton issued Procla- mation 6962 of December 2, \177996, to provide through the close of Decem- ber 3% 200% 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, consistent with the \177996 Agreement. 5. On December 3% 200% the United States entered into an agreement with Israel to extend the 1996 Agreement through December 3% 2002, in order to allow for additional time to negotiate a successor arrangement to the \177996 Agreement. 6. Pursuant to section 4(b) of the FTA Act, I have determined that it is nec- essary, in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually ad- vantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the FTA, to provide through the close of December 3% 2002, duty-free treatment for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel. 7. Section 604 of the Trade Act of \177974 (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, in- cluding 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 83

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