IMPORTATION OF GUM ARABIC.

SEC. 1464. IMPORTATION OF GUM ARABIC. (a) Findings.—The Congress finds the following: (1) The Republic of the Sudan produces 60 percent of the world’s supply of gum arabic in raw form and has a virtual monopoly on the world’s supply of the highest grade of gum arabic. (2) The President imposed comprehensive sanctions against Sudan on November 3, 1997, under Executive Order No. 13067. (3) The Secretary of the Treasury, upon recommendation of the Secretary of State, has issued limited licenses each year since the imposition of sanctions against Sudan under Executive Order No. 13067 to permit United States gum arabic processors to import gum arabic in raw form from Sudan due to a lack of alternative sources in other countries. (4) The United States gum arabic processing industry consists of three small companies whose existence is threatened by the comprehensive sanctions in effect against Sudan. (5) The United States gum arabic processing industry is working with the United States Agency for International Development to develop alternative sources of gum arabic in raw form in countries that are not subject to sanctions, but alternative sources of the highest grade of gum arabic in raw form are not currently available. (b) License Applications to Import Gum Arabic From Sudan.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the heads of other appropriate agencies— (1) shall consider promptly any license application by a United States gum arabic processor to import gum arabic in raw form from the Republic of the Sudan, and (2) in reviewing such license applications by United States gum arabic processors, shall consider whether adequate commercial quantities of the highest grade of gum arabic in raw form are available from countries not subject to United States sanctions in order to allow such United States processors of gum arabic to remain in business.114 STAT. 2174 (c) Development of Alternative Sources of Gum Arabic.—The President shall utilize such authority as is available to the President to promote the development in countries other than Sudan of alternative sources of the highest grade of gum arabic in raw form of sufficient commercial quality to be utilized in products intended for human consumption. (d) Definition.—In this section, the term “gum arabic in raw form” means gum arabic of the type described in subheadings 1301.20.00 and 1301.90,90 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.