USTR Accepts 2010 GSP Country Practice Petition for Georgia, no 2011 CNL Action
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a notice announcing that the GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee has accepted for review a country practices petition submitted for the 2010 GSP Annual Review regarding the Republic of Georgia. The notice also announces that in view of the lapse in authorization of the GSP program through much of 2011, there will be no actions taken in 2011 with respect to competitive need limitations (CNLs).
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.
TPSC Has Only Accepted Country Petition on Workers Rights in Georgia
The GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC has recommended and the TPSC has accepted the review of one country practice petition submitted for the 2010 GSP Annual Review. The petition accepted is a Worker Rights petition regarding the Republic of Georgia filed by the AFL-CIO. This is the only country practice petition accepted as part of the 2010 GSP Annual Review.
The hearing on the petition is set for January 24, 2012. The deadline for submitting pre-hearing comments and requesting participation in the hearing is January 10, 2012. Post-hearing briefs are due by February 14, 2012.
No CNL-Related Removals of Products from GSP Eligibility Will Be Taken in 2011
USTR explains that the statute governing the GSP program provides that the President shall, not later than July 1 of the next calendar year, terminate the duty-free treatment for articles from GSP beneficiary countries that exceed the statutory CNL for the preceding year.
In view of the lapse in the authorization of the GSP program from January 1, 2011 to November 5, 2011, a review of products subject to CNLs based on calendar year 2010 trade data and petitions seeking waivers of CNLs based on calendar year 2010 trade data could not be completed prior to the statutory deadline. Therefore, no CNL-related actions will be taken in 2011, including no CNL-related removals of GSP-eligible products based on 2010 trade and no redesignations of GSP-eligible products currently subject to CNL exclusions for specific GSP beneficiary countries. Petitions for CNL waivers that were accepted in December 2010 are dismissed.1
USTR adds that the schedule for petitions seeking waivers of CNLs based on calendar year 2011 trade data is set forth in a separate Federal Register notice announcing the 2011 GSP Annual Review. (See future of ITT for summary.)
1The CNL waiver petitions that were accepted in December were for lysine and its esters from Brazil, pneumatic tires from Sri Lanka, certain rubber gloves from Thailand, and calcium silicon ferroalloys from Argentina. (See ITT's Online Archives 10122908 for summary of USTR's acceptance of the four CNL waiver petitions for review.)
(See ITT’s Online Archives 11102103 for summary of the signing of H.R. 2832 which retroactively extended the GSP program from January 1, 2011 through July 31, 2013.
See ITT’s Online Archives 10122711 for summary of CBP instructions on GSP’s expiration on December 31, 2010.
See ITT’s Online Archives 10081119 for summary of USTR announcing the deadline for 2010 GSP country practice petitions.)
(FR Pub 11/01/11)
USTR contact - Tameka Cooper (202) 395-6971