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Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Ambassador Ron Kirk | Executive Office of the President | www.ustr.gov http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6lcilzcab&et=1109024007713&s=9878&e=001KfAAh_rMjPK3s-G5GFayIDmLKdLxCx7VNBLN3MwKfKRLOjsXqxctzwAC-dScDqdS__4DhT1rtCDWx8wAnctl1Qd7me_i9ASc-PtvTz-B-DY=
Office of Intergovernmental Affairs & Public Engagement | 202.395.6120 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 30, 2011
Volume 115 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Announcements for the Week of Dec. 26-30, 2011 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
USTR Announces Outcome of Generalized System of Preferences Review
December 29 - United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced today the outcome of the Obama Administration's 2010 Annual Review under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. Congress created the GSP program in the Trade Act of 1974 to help developing countries expand their economies by allowing certain goods to be imported to the United States duty-free.
Ambassador Kirk said, "GSP is an important element both of this Administration's trade agenda and of its efforts to help developing countries grow their economies through increased trade. The annual review of GSP helps us to ensure that the program is working as it should and that developments affecting country and product eligibility are taken into account, consistent with the GSP statute. A well-functioning GSP program also helps U.S. businesses, workers, and consumers by lowering the costs of imported goods, including those used as inputs for U.S. manufacturing."
Based on the Administration's review of product petitions accepted for the 2010 GSP Annual Review, President Obama determined that one product - certain non-down sleeping bags - should be removed from eligibility for duty-free treatment under GSP because it is import-sensitive in the context of GSP. A petition to remove GSP duty-free treatment for two types of self-adhesive plastic tape was denied.
Find the full release here http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2011/december/ustr-announces-outcome-generalized-system-prefere. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ambassador Kirk Announces Results of Annual Presidential African Growth and Opportunity Act Eligibility Review
December 29 - Today, Ambassador Kirk announced President Obama's decision to designate 40 sub-Saharan African countries as eligible for AGOA benefits in 2012. During this year's review process, the President determined that all of the countries currently eligible for trade preferences and other benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) would remain eligible and that no new countries would be added as AGOA beneficiaries.
"President Obama's determination today is good news for the people of these African nations, as well as for the American businesses and workers trading with these countries," said Ambassador Kirk. "We are proud to announce, after a thorough review by the Obama Administration, that all 40 of these important U.S. trading partners will continue to receive benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act - a vital and growing pillar of U.S.-Africa trade policy."
The President's determination is based on the annual review conducted by the Administration to examine whether the countries named in the Act had met AGOA's eligibility criteria. Those criteria include establishing, or making continual progress towards establishing, a market-based economy, rule of law, economic policies to reduce poverty, protection of internationally recognized worker rights, and efforts to combat corruption. Countries eligible for AGOA also may not engage in activities that undermine U.S. foreign policy interests, or engage in gross violations of internationally recognized human rights. ================================================================================
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IN THIS ISSUE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
USTR Announces Outcome of Generalized System of Preferences Review
Ambassador Kirk Announces Results of Annual Presidential African Growth and Opportunity Act Eligibility Review ================================================================================
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Ask the Ambassador ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Archives ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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our website http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6lcilzcab&et=1106186007300&s=0&e=001J-cVcRjoUL9KjYJPmPUlY57fPYQI9b_PpqanY3J1s_iIwtpIVIVLGJgHrOulCsDpcmKJOE3Hi60SWTt38lUGMq74a77JgfqiChlsnSs0AYDc-nEppZ0zz5ComR9Cx3awisYFjgvJfqAnGTc5DWn1pQ==. ================================================================================
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