Bush administration wraps up GSP review

Bush administration wraps up GSP review    The Bush administration has reported the findings of its 2005 annual review of the Generalized System of Preferences, a program that allows approved countries to export certain products to the United States duty free.
   During the review, the administration found that certain imports from overseas can now compete effectively with similar imports subject to duties and should be removed from GSP status. Other countries and their products became eligible for GSP benefits.
   In 2005, $26.7 billion in products were imported duty-free into the United States from countries with GSP status, an 18 percent increase over 2004, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
   Earlier this year, the administration restored GSP eligibility to Liberia. It also closed reviews of certain country practice petitions without removing GSP eligibility. These reviews included Swaziland (worker rights), and Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and Brazil (intellectual property rights
enforcement).
   The administration continues to review the GSP continuance petitions for Uganda (worker rights); Lebanon and Uzbekistan (intellectual property rights enforcement); and Bulgaria and Romania (preferential tariff treatment). The administration also continues to seek commitments from Russia to improve intellectual property rights protection.