USTR Announces Product Petitions That Have Been Accepted for 2005 GSP Annual Review, Etc.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice announcing the product petitions that have been accepted for further review in the 2005 Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Annual Review.
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(The USTR notes that the list of country practice petitions accepted for review will be announced in the Federal Register at a later date.)
According to the USTR, modifications to the lists of articles eligible for GSP duty-free treatment resulting from the 2005 Annual Review will be announced in the Federal Register on or about June 30, 2006, and any changes will take effect on the effective date announced (most changes are expected to take effect on July 1, 2006).
Product Petitions Accepted for 2005 GSP Annual Review
The following are brief descriptions of the products (and associated HTS numbers) that are covered by the petitions that has been accepted for review:
(Acceptance indicates only that the listed petitions have been found eligible for review by the interagency GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) and that such review will take place):
A. Petitions to Make Additional Products GSP Eligible
| 1302.39.0010 | Carrageenan |
| 9102.11.10 | Wrist watches not elsewhere specified or included, electrically operated, mechanical display only, 0-1 jewel, gold- or silver-plated case, band of textile material or base metal |
| 9102.11.25 | Wrist watches not elsewhere specified or included, electrically operated, mechanical display only, 0-1 jewel, case other than gold- or silver-plated, with band of textile material or base metal |
| 9102.11.30 | Wrist watches not elsewhere specified or included, electrically operated, mechanical display only, 0-1 jewel, gold- or silver-plated case, with band of material not elsewhere specified or included |
| 9102.11.45 | Wrist watches not elsewhere specified or included, electrically operated, mechanical display only, 0-1 jewel, case other than gold- or silver-plated, with band of material not elsewhere specified or included |
| 9102.19.20 | Wrist watches not elsewhere specified or included, electrically operated, with both optoelectronic and mechanical displays, 0-1 jewel, band of textile material or base metal |
| 9102.19.40 | Wrist watches not elsewhere specified or included, electrically operated, with both optoelectronic and mechanical displays, 0-1 jewel, band of material not elsewhere specified or included |
| 9102.91.40 | Watches (excluding wrist watches) not elsewhere specified or included, electrically operated, with 0-1 jewel in the movement |
B. Petition to Restore GSP Duty-Free Status to a Country/Product Combination
| India | 2916.39.15 | Ibuprofen |
C. Petitions for Waiver of GSP Competitive Need Limits
| Philippines | 0804.50.80 | Guavas, mangoes, and mangosteens, dried |
| Brazil | 4412.19.40 | Plywood of wood sheets, not over 6mm thick each, with outer plies of coniferous wood, with a face play not elsewhere specified or included, not surface covered or surface covered with clear material does not obscure grain |
| Turkey | 6802.21.10 | Monumental or building stone and articles thereof, of travertine, simply cut or sawn, with flat or even surface |
| Turkey | 6802.91.20 | Monumental or building stone and articles thereof, of travertine, dressed or polished but not further worked, not elsewhere specified or included |
ITC Investigates Product Petitions
At the request of the USTR, the International Trade Commission (ITC) has launched two investigations on these product petitions (one investigation on watches and another on the balance of the product petitions). The ITC states that it will provide advice to the USTR on the probable economic effect on U.S. industries producing like or directly competitive articles, and on consumers, of the elimination of U.S. import duties for subject products from all GSP beneficiary developing countries.
USTR and ITC to Hold Public Hearings, Request Comments, Etc.
The USTR's public hearing will be held on September 30, 2005, with pre-hearing briefs and requests to appear due on September 12, 2005, and post-hearing and rebuttal briefs due on October 21, 2005.
The ITC's public hearing for both of its investigations will be held on September 29, 2005, with pre-hearing statements or briefs due September 12, 2005. Post-hearing statements or briefs are due October 7, 2005 (all but watches) or November 7, 2005 (watches).
(See ITT's Online Archives or 05/16/05 news, 05051605, for BP summary of the USTR's announcement of the opportunity to solicit petitions for the 2005 annual GSP product and country eligibility practices review.)
USTR contact - GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC (202) 395-6971
ITC contact - Cynthia B. Foreso (202) 205-3348
USTR notice (FR Pub 08/18/05) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-16405.pdf.
ITC notice - watches (Invest. No. 332-471, FR Pub 08/22/05) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-16606.pdf
ITC notice - all but watches (Invest. No. 332-470, FR Pub 08/22/05) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-16544.pdf
BP Note
Other modifications to the GSP that are expected to be announced on or about June 30, 2006 relate to those country/product combinations that will (1) lose GSP eligibility as a result of exceeding the GSP Competitive Needs Limitations (CNLs), (2) retain GSP eligibility due to the President granting requests for a waiver of certain of the CNLs (a de minimis waiver), or (3) have their GSP eligibility restored through a redesignation process.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 04/04/05 news, 05040410 for BP summary regarding expected CNL actions for July 1, 2005, including explanation of the CNLs. See ITT's Online Archives or 04/20/05 news, 05042005 for BP update on expected CNL actions for July 1, 2005.)