The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a notice announcing that it accepted seven petitions in connection with the 2009 Generalized System of Preferences Annual Review to modify the list of products that are eligible for duty-free treatment under the GSP program.
CBP has issued a notice stating that barring congressional action, the Generalized System of Preferences (SPI A and A) and the Andean Trade Preference Act/Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (SPI J and J) are due to expire December 31, 2009, for goods entered or withdrawn from warehouse after midnight. (See ITT's Online Archives or 08/19/09 news, 09081915, for most recent BP summary on GSP/ATPDEA being scheduled to expire on December 31st. See ITT's Online Archives or 10/09/09 news, 09100905, for BP summary of the trade asking Congress to make immediate GSP renewal a priority.) (Notice, dated 10/21/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/trade_programs/international_agreements/special_trade_programs/atpa/spi_expire.xml)
The World Customs Organization states that at the 8th Asia-Europe Customs DGs/Commissioners Meeting held in Greece on October 15-16, 2009, members adopted the ASEM Trade Facilitation Action Plan on Customs Matters (TFAP) for 2010-2012, which includes enhanced dialogue with business and exploration of the possibility to implement pre-arrival and pre-departure security declaration in line with SAFE Framework of Standards. (Report, posted 10/20/09, available at http://www.wcoomd.org/speeches/?v=1&lid=1&cid=2&id=172)
Multiple businesses, trade associations, and business organizations have sent a letter to leadership at the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees asking them to make the immediate renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences a priority.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has posted to its Web site a document which provides an overview of trade issues with the Central Asia Region, including:
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has announced 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 Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a notice announcing the initiation of a review to consider re-designating the Republic of Maldives as a beneficiary developing country (BDC) under the Generalized System of Preferences program and soliciting public comments on whether Maldives meets certain eligibility criteria for such a designation.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a notice announcing the 2009 Annual Review of the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA)/Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA)1.
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, 2009, unless a law extending it is enacted.
CBP has posted a notice containing tables that provide information on current free trade agreements and preferential trade legislation. The tables indicate that none of the current FTAs will expire. In addition, the preferential trade legislation table indicates that CBERA has no expiration date; GSP, ATPA/ATPDEA (except for Bolivia) are scheduled to expire on December 31, 2009; CBTPA is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2010; and AGOA is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2015. (Notice, dated 07/27/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/trade/trade_programs/international_agreements/fta_comparison.ctt/fta_comparison.pdf)