On February 15, 2006 and February 16, 2006, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Rob Portman testified before the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee regarding the Bush Administration's 2006 trade agenda.
The International Trade Commission (ITC) has released its report entitled The U.S. Oman Free Trade Agreement: Potential Economywide and Selected Sectoral Effects.
The standard Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program (i.e., A, A*, and A) is scheduled to expire for non-African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) beneficiarycountries on December 31, 2006.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued a notice announcing the availability of grant funding under the fiscal year (FY) 2006 Border Enforcement Grant (BEG) program. According to the FMCSA, this is a discretionary grant program that provides funding for carrying out border commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety programs and related enforcement activities and projects. Entities and states that share a land border with another country are eligible to receive grant funding. Applications must be sent no later than March 15, 2006. (FR Pub 01/31/06, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/E6-1155.pdf)
The Washington File reports that the U.S. and South Korea will open negotiations on a comprehensive bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) to remove tariff and nontariff barriers and expand trade between the countries. The talks are expected to begin in or around May 2006 after a consultation period. (Washington File Pub 02/03/06, available at http://usinfo.state.gov/usinfo/Archive/2006/Feb/02-508129.html)
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued two notices announcing that the reviews of intellectual property protection in Brazil and Pakistan have been closed. These reviews were carried out as part of the USTR's 2005 Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Country Eligibility Practices Review (country practices review).
According to a press release from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and USTR sources, duty-free benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program have been reinstated for Ukraine effective January 23, 2006.
According to a European Union (EU) press release and EU sources, on January 1, 2006, the European Commission (EC) implemented a new EU Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) for the three-year period of 2006 - 2008.
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The Office of U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has posted to its Web site a 33-page document entitled "U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Guidebook", which is dated November 2005.