USTR Announces Opportunity to Submit Petitions for 2006 Annual GSP Product and Country Eligibility Practices Review
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has announced the opportunity to submit petitions for the 2006 Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Product and Country Eligibility Practices Review (2006 Annual GSP Review).
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According to the USTR, the deadline for submission of product petitions (other than those requesting competitive needs limitation (CNL) waivers) and country practice petitions for the 2006 Annual GSP Review is 5 p.m., July 20, 2006. The deadline for submission of product petitions requesting CNL waivers is 5 p.m., November 17, 2006.
The USTR states that interested parties or foreign governments may submit petitions to:
- Designate additional articles as eligible for GSP benefits, including to designate articles as eligible for GSP benefits only for countries designated as least-developed beneficiary developing countries, or only for countries designated as beneficiary sub-Saharan African 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, least-developed beneficiary developing countries or beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries, or for any of these countries individually;
- Waive the CNLs for individual beneficiary developing countries with respect to specific GSP-eligible articles (these limits do not apply to either least-developed beneficiary developing countries or beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries); and
- Otherwise modify GSP coverage.
The USTR states that interested parties may also submit petitions to review the designation of any eligible beneficiary developing country, including any least-developed beneficiary developing country, with respect to any of the designation criteria listed in 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).
(The USTR emphasizes that products petitions requesting CNL waivers for GSP-eligible articles from beneficiary developing countries that exceed the CNLs in 2006 must be filed in this 2006 Annual GSP Review.)
(See ITT's Online Archives or 08/23/05 news, 05082307,for BP summary of the product petitions accepted for the 2005 GSP Annual Review.)
(See ITT's Online Archives or 07/07/06 news, 06070705, for BP summary of Presidential Proclamation 8033, which implemented certain GSP changes effective July 1, 2006.)
USTR contact - GSP Subcommittee (202) 395-6971
USTR Notice (FR Pub 06/29/06) available athttp://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/06-5827.pdf