USTR Announces Opportunity to Solicit Petitions for 2005 Annual GSP Product and Country Eligibility Practices Review
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has announced the opportunity to submit petitions (requests) for the 2005 Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Product and Country Eligibility Practices Review (GSP Annual Review). All petitions to modify the list of articles eligible for duty-free treatment under the GSP program or to review the GSP status of any beneficiary developing country must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on June 15, 2005.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
According to the USTR, interested parties or foreign governments may submit petitions to:
- Designate additional articles as eligible for GSP;
- 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, least-developed beneficiary developing countries or beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries (i.e. AGOA beneficiary countries), or for any of these countries individually;
- Waive the "competitive needs limitations" for individual beneficiary developing countries with respect to specific GSP-eligible articles; and
- Otherwise modify GSP coverage.
The USTR states that interested parties may also submit petitions to have the GSP status of any eligible beneficiary developing country reviewed with respect to any of the designation criteria listed in sections 502(b) or 502(c) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 USC 2462(b) and (c)) (petitions to review the designation of beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries are considered in the Annual Review of the AGOA, a separate administrative process not governed by GSP regulations).
(See ITT's Online Archives or 02/28/05 and 04/08/05 news, 05022820 and 05040815, for BP summary of the product petitions accepted for the 2004 GSP Annual Review.)
(See ITT's Online Archives or 04/04/05 and 04/20/05 news, 05040410 and 05042005, for BP summaries of country/tariff number combinations that may lose or regain GSP benefits effective July 1, 2005.)
USTR contact - GSP Subcommittee (202) 395-6971
USTR Notice (FR Pub 05/09/05) available athttp://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-9237.pdf
BP Note
BP is checking with USTR sources for additional details regarding petitions for CNL waivers, and will update readers as new information is available.