Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 111 Part 3.djvu/838

 Ill STAT. 2926 PROCLAMATION 7011-^JUNE 30, 1997 Proclamation 7011 of June 30, 1997 To Implement the World Trade Organization Ministerial Declaration on Trade in Information Technology Products and the Agreement on Distilled Spirits By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation 1. On December 13, 1996, the first Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization ("the WTO") issued a Declaration On Trade In Information Technology Products ("the ITA"), which established a framework for expanding world trade in information technology products and enhancing market access opportunities for such products. To implement that declaration, 42 WTO members and governments in the process of acceding to the WTO agreed to eliminate duties on information technology products. These products encompass computers and computer equipment, semiconductors and integrated circuits, computer software products, telecommunications equipment, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and computer-based analytical instruments. The participants further agreed on the common objective of achieving, where appropriate, a common classification of such goods for tariff purposes within the existing nomenclature of the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS), and on a possible future joint suggestion to the World Customs Organization to update existing HS nomenclature or to otherwise remedy any divergence in classification of such goods or in interpretation of the HS nomenclature. 2. The United States and the European Union, on behalf of its 15 member states, also reached agreement at the WTO Ministerial Meeting on the elimination of duties on certain distilled spirits. 3. Section 111(b) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA)(19 U.S.C. 3521(b)) authorizes the President to proclaim the modification of any duty or staged rate reduction of any duty set forth in Schedule XX for products in tariff categories that were the subject of reciprocal duty elimination or harmonization negotiations during the Uruguay Round, if the United States agrees to such action in a multilateral negotiation under the auspices of the WTO and after compliance with the requirements of section 115 of the URAA (19 U.S.C. 3524). The products covered by the ITA and the Agreement on Distilled Spirits were the subject of reciprocal duty elimination negotiations during the Uruguay Round. 4. Accordingly, pursuant to section 111(b) of the URAA, I have determined to proclaim modifications in the tariff categories and rates of duty set forth in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule ("the HTS"), as set forth in the Annexes to this proclamation. 5. Proclamation 6763 of December 23, 1994, implemented the tariff and other customs treatment resulting from the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, as set forth in Schedule XX, with respect to the United States. Proclamation 6641 of December 15, 1993, implemented the North American Free Trade Agreement ("the NAFTA") with respect to the United States and incorporated in the HTS the tariff modifications and rules of origin necessary or appropriate to carry out or apply the NAFTA. Certain tariff provisions established by these procla-

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