US States Department
10 January 2005
Bush Extends Normal Trade Relations Treatment to Armenia
Says Armenia has made “considerable progress in enacting market reforms”
President Bush issued a proclamation January 7 extending unconditional
normal trade relations treatment to Armenian products entering the United
States, effective immediately.
Armenia has made “considerable progress in enacting market reforms” and has
“demonstrated a strong desire to build a friendly and cooperative
relationship with the United States,” Bush said.
Following is his proclamation:
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
January 7, 2005
TO EXTEND NONDISCRIMINATORY TRADE TREATMENT
(NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS TREATMENT)
TO THE PRODUCTS OF ARMENIA
– – – – – – –
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
1. Since declaring its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia
has made considerable progress in enacting market reforms and on February 5,
2003, Armenia acceded to the World Trade Organization (WTO). The extension
of unconditional normal trade relations treatment to the products of Armenia
will permit the United States to avail itself of all rights under the WTO
with respect to Armenia. Armenia has demonstrated a strong desire to build
a friendly and cooperative relationship with the United States and has been
found to be in full compliance with the freedom of emigration requirements
under title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 (the “1974 Act”) (19 U.S.C. 2431 et
seq.).
2. Pursuant to section 2001(b) of Public Law 108-429, 118 Stat. 2588, and
having due regard for the findings of the Congress in section 2001(a) of
said law, I hereby determine that chapter 1 of title IV of the 1974 Act (19
U.S.C. 2431-2439) should no longer apply to Armenia.
3. Section 604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2483), as amended, authorizes the
President to embody in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States
the substance of relevant provisions of that Act, or other acts affecting
import treatment, and of actions taken thereunder.
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 but not limited to section 2001(b) of
Public Law 108-429, and section 604 of the 1974 Act, do proclaim that:
(1) Nondiscriminatory trade treatment (normal trade relations treatment)
shall be extended to the products of Armenia, which shall no longer be
subject to chapter 1 of title IV of the 1974 Act.
(2) The extension of nondiscriminatory treatment to products of Armenia
shall be effective as of the date of signature of this proclamation.
(3) All 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.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of January,
in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and twenty-ninth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: )