USTR Announces the 2005 Petitions Accepted for Annual GSP Country Practices Review
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice announcing the 2005 petitions that have been accepted for its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Country Eligibility Practices Review (country practices review).
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.
(The GSP provides for the duty-free importation of designated articles from designated beneficiary developing countries.)
Country Practices Review May Result in Modifications to Countries' Eligibility
The USTR has received a number of petitions requesting that certain practices in certain beneficiary developing countries be reviewed to determine whether such countries are in compliance with the eligibility criteria set forth in 19 USC 2462(a), 2462(b), and 2462(c).
According to the USTR, modifications to the list of countries eligible for GSP benefits resulting from the 2005 country practices review will be announced on or about June 30, 2006 in the Federal Register, with any changes taking effect on the effective date announced.
(19 USC 2462(d) states that the President may withdraw, suspend, or limit the application of the duty-free treatment accorded by the GSP with respect to any country. In taking any such action, the President shall consider the factors set forth in 19 USC 501 and 2462(c), which lists factors affecting a country's GSP designation (e.g, protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), workers rights, economic development level, etc.))
USTR Announces 10 Petitions Have Been Accepted for 2005 Review
The USTR states that the GSP Subcommittee has recommended, and the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) has accepted, the following country practice petitions to be included in the 2005 GSP Annual Review:
| Country | Action | Case Number |
|---|---|---|
| Uganda | Worker Rights | 011-CP-05 |
| Swaziland | Worker Rights | 012-CP-05 |
| Kazakhstan | Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) | 015-CP-05 |
| Lebanon | IPR | 016-CP-05 |
| Pakistan | IPR | 017-CP-05 |
| Russia | IPR | 018-CP-05 |
| Uzbekistan | IPR | 019-CP-05 |
| Bulgaria | Reverse Preference Treatment (RPT) | 020-CP-05 |
| Romania | RPT | 021-CP-05 |
| Romania | RPT | 022-CP-05 |
The USTR notes that acceptance of a petition for review is not indicative of the ultimate disposition of the petition; rather, acceptance indicates only that the listed petitions warrant further consideration.
GSP Subcommittee Invites Comments, Announces Schedule for Proceedings
In the USTR's notice, the TPSC's GSP Subcommittee invites electronic comments in support of or in opposition to any petitions that have been accepted for review. It should be noted that the USTR will accept only electronic e-mail submissions in response to this request for comments.
In addition, the USTR states that the GSP Subcommittee will hold an open hearing on November 30, 2005 in Washington, DC, and provides the deadlines for requests to make oral presentations and testimony at this hearing. In addition, the USTR notes that post-hearing briefs must be submitted by 5 p.m. on December 14, 2005 and any party not wishing to appear at the public hearing may also submit a post-hearing written brief or statement by the same deadline.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 08/23/05 news, 05082307, for BP summary of the USTR's list of product petitions that have been accepted for the 2005 GSP Annual Review.)
USTR Contact - GSP Subcommittee (202) 395-6971
USTR Notice (FR Pub 09/14/05) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-18228.pdf
BP Note
On August 6, 2002, the standard GSP program was retroactively reinstated through December 31, 2006 for GSP beneficiary countries other than those listed as African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) beneficiary countries. (The standard GSP program and the AGOA-GSP program for AGOA beneficiary countries remains in effect through September 30, 2015.)