Reminder Standard GSP for Non-AGOA Countries Expires on December 31, 2006
The standard Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program (i.e., A, A*, and A) is scheduled to expire for non-African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) beneficiarycountries on December 31, 2006.
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The Trade Act of 2002 renewed the standard GSP program for non-AGOA beneficiary countries until December 31, 2006, retroactive to October 1, 2001 (when it had expired).
(See ITT's Online Archives or 08/08/02 news, 02080805, for BP summary on the reinstatement of the standard GSP program for non-AGOA countries through December 31, 2006.)
Standard GSP and AGOA-GSP for AGOA Countries Does Not Expire in 2006
The standard GSP program (i.e., A, A*, and A) and the AGOA-GSP program (i.e., D) for AGOA beneficiary countries remains in effect through September 30, 2015.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 07/14/04 news, 04071405, for BP summary of the enactment of AGOA III, which extended the standard GSP and AGOA-GSP programs for AGOA countries through September 30, 2015 (from September 30, 2008).)
USTR Considers Whether Operation of the GSP Program Should Change
In October 2005, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issued a notice announcing that the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) was seeking public comments and scheduling a hearing, as part of its review on whether the operation of the GSP program should be changed so that the program's benefits are focused in a different way, etc.
In that notice, the USTR explained that as Congress considers re-authorization of the GSP program, the TPSC was reviewing whether the Administration's operation of the program should be changed.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 10/07/05 news, 05100705, for BP summary of the USTR's notice.)