USTR Accepting Product Petitions for 2010 GSP Annual Review
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is now accepting petitions to modify the list of products that are eligible for duty-free treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences program for the 2010 Annual Review.
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Any GSP product changes resulting from this review would take effect on July 1, 2011.
(The U.S. conducts an annual review of the products that are eligible for duty-free treatment under the program. A country practice review also occurs, and will be the subject of another USTR notice.)
Deadlines for Product Petitions, CNL Waivers Announced
The deadline for submission of product petitions to modify the list of articles eligible for duty-free treatment under GSP is 5 p.m., August 3, 2010.
The deadline for submission of product petitions requesting CNL waivers is 5 p.m., November 16, 2010. This later date allows petitioners an opportunity to review additional 2010 U.S. import statistics.
(There are two types of CNLs - the value CNL (which is $145 million for 2010) and the 50% CNL (equal to or greater than 50% of the 2010 value of total U.S. imports of the tariff number from all countries). Once either limit is reached, trade is considered "competitive" and imports of the article automatically become ineligible for GSP treatment, unless a waiver is granted.)
Petitions May be Submitted for Additional GSP Benefits, CNL Waivers, Etc.
Interested parties, including foreign governments, may submit petitions to:
1. Designate additional articles as eligible for duty-free treatment under GSP, 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);
2. 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;
3. 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 AGOA beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries); and
4. Otherwise modify GSP coverage.
Country Practice Review Petition Deadline to be Announced Later
The deadline for receipt of petitions for the Country Practices Eligibility Review and related public hearing date will be announced in the Federal Register at a later date.
USTR contact- Tameka Cooper (202) 395-6971 or tameka_cooper@ustr.eop.gov