USTR Extends Deadline for Submission of Petitions for 2004 Annual GSP Product and Country Eligibility Practices Review
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice announcing that it is extending the deadline for the submission of petitions for the 2004 Annual Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Product and Country Eligibility Practices Review to 5 p.m. on December 13, 2004.
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Interested Parties May Submit Petitions Requesting the Designation of Articles as GSP Eligible, Etc.
According to the notice, interested parties, including foreign governments, may submit petitions asking the U.S. to:
designate additional articles as eligible for GSP benefits, including designation of articles as eligible for GSP benefits only for countries designated as least-developed beneficiary developing countries (LDBDCs), or only for countries designated as beneficiary sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA);
withdraw, suspend or limit the application of duty-free treatment accorded under the GSP with respect to any article, either for all beneficiary developing countries, LDBDCs or beneficiary SSA countries, or for any of these countries individually;
waive the "competitive need limitations" for individual beneficiary developing countries with respect to specific GSP-eligible articles (these limits do not apply to either LDBDCs or beneficiary SSA countries); or
otherwise modify GSP coverage for an article.
Persons May Submit Petitions Requesting a Review of the GSP Designation of Any Beneficiary Developing Country
The USTR further states that any person may also submit petitions asking the U.S. to review the designation of any GSP beneficiary developing country, including any LDBDC, with respect to any of the designation criteria listed in the Trade Act of 1974.
(The USTR notes that petitions to review the designation of beneficiary SSA countries are considered in the Annual Review of the AGOA, a separate administrative process not governed by the GSP regulations.)
The USTR states that notification of which petitions are accepted for the 2004 Annual GSP Review and notification of other relevant dates will be published in the Federal Register.
- petitions must be received no later than 5 p.m. on December 13, 2004.
USTR Contact - GSP Subcommittee (202) 395-6971
USTR notice (FR Pub 11/15/04), available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-25264.pdf.
BP Note
Although this USTR notice "extends" the deadline for the filing of petitions for the 2004 Annual GSP product and country eligibility practices review, it is not known if the USTR ever published a notice establishing an initial deadline for the filing of such petitions.