International Trade Law News

Published by Jacobson Burton Kelley PLLC

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk today announced the results of the 2008 Annual Review of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. The following is a summary of the results:

• De minimis waivers were granted on 112 products from 16 beneficiary countries.

• Added two agricultural products to the list of products eligible for GSP duty-free export into the United States from all beneficiary countries.

• Determined that 12 products from six beneficiary countries should be excluded from the GSP program since they exceeded the competitive need limitation.

• Unfortunately, the Obama Administration did not grant any of the numerous requests for redesignation of products that had been excluded from GSP since they exceeded the competitive need limitation in previous years.
  

In 2008, the United States extended duty-free treatment under the GSP program to imports worth $31.7 billion from eligible beneficiary countries.

The complete results of the 2008 GSP Annual Review are available here.

Labels: GSP