The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has received and accepted for review two petitions in connection with the 2010 Generalized System of Preferences Annual Review to modify the list of products that are eligible for duty-free treatment under the GSP program (2010 GSP Annual Product Review).
The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program (i.e., A, A*, and A+) for most beneficiary countries, i.e., other than those listed as African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) beneficiary countries, will expire on December 31, 2010, unless a law extending it is enacted.
The following is a list of current U.S trade preference programs, as well as a list of current free trade agreements.1 Any expiration dates are noted.
The International Trade Commission has issued its report, “Andean Trade Preference Act: Impact on U.S. Industries and Consumers and on Drug Crop Eradication and Crop Substitution, Fourteenth Report, 2009,” in which it states that ATPA imports during 2009 continued to have a negligible overall effect on the U.S. economy and consumers.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announces that the African Growth and Opportunity Act Implementation Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee is requesting written public comments for the annual review of the eligibility of sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries to receive AGOA benefits.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has issued a notice announcing the three month duty-free tariff preference level for certain apparel from Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) beneficiary countries (currently Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru1), as specified in HTS 9821.11.25.
On September 27, 2010, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to Congress urging it to support legislation extending the Generalized System of Preferences and the Andean Trade Preference Act for Colombia and Peru, both of which will expire on December 31. The Chamber notes that while it has concerns relating to the continued eligibility of Ecuador under ATPA and it should receive greater scrutiny, these programs should also be extended.
According to a Congressional source, the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees are discussing a multi-year extension of the GSP and ATPA/ATPDEA programs, which they hope to pass before the programs expire.
The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program (i.e., A, A*, and A+) for most beneficiary countries, i.e., other than those listed as African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) beneficiary countries, will expire on December 31, 2010, unless a law extending it is enacted.
On September 22, 2010, the following trade-related bills were introduced: