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GSP for Most Countries Scheduled to Expire on December 31st
June 18, 2009

The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program (i.e., A, A*, and A+) for most beneficiary countries, i.e., other thanthose listed as African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) beneficiary countries, will expire on December 31, 2009, unless a law extending it is enacted.

Senate, House Working on Trade Preference Program Reform Package

Congressional sources at the Senate Finance Committee said that they are \\\\\\\"actively\\\\\\\" working on a trade preference reform package, which would include GSP (and the other trade preference programs, such as the Andean Trade Preference Act/Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPA/ATPDEA), the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA), etc.).

The sources added that the committee had not yet decided how it will approach the issue of extending the GSP program beyond December 31, 2009 if the reform package is not completed in time.

House Ways and Means Committee sources add that they also have been working on a trade preference program reform package and have not yet determined how they will handle the issue of extending GSP if the reform package is not completed in time. Sources add that some members are pushing for the reform package and are not yet willing to talk about an extension of GSP.