Congress Members Circulating Letter to Restore India's GSP Benefits
Former New Democrat Coalition head Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., is leading a bipartisan letter asking that the administration restore India to the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program. The letter, which is still being circulated in a bid for more signatures before an introduction in September, notes that the House voted 400-2 to reauthorize the GSP program in 2018.
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.
“GSP saved American companies over $1 billion in eliminated tariffs in 2018. India’s inclusion in GSP was responsible for a quarter of those savings,” Himes and his colleagues wrote. “Firms that enjoyed tariff-free imports for years have paid tens of millions of dollars in just two months.”
If the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is not prepared to completely restore India's eligibility, they suggest considering “an 'early harvest' approach that reinstates some GSP benefits if India removes specific barriers.” Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kan.; Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.; Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill.; and Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., have joined the letter.