On November 20, 2019, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) published in the Federal Register a notice [Docket Number USTR–2019–0001] announcing the results of the 2019 annual Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) review with respect to: Products considered for removal from the list of eligible products for certain beneficiary countries; decisions related to competitive need limitations (CNLs), including petitions for waivers of CNLs; and requests to reinstate/ redesignate products previously excluded from GSP eligibility for certain countries. Presidential Proclamation 9955 of October 25, 2019, implements the President’s decisions regarding the 2019 annual GSP review, including CNL waivers and product redesignations. These modifications to the GSP program, implemented by Presidential Proclamation 9955, became effective on November 1, 2019. The notice provides a summary of the results of the 2019 annual GSP review.
- List I: the President denied the two petitions to remove Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) resin (HTS 3907.61.00 and HTS 3907.69.00) from GSP eligibility for Pakistan. Qualifying products from Pakistan will continue to enter the United States duty-free.
- List II: the President granted a petition to redesignate freshcut orchids (HTS 0603.13.00) from Thailand to GSP. In addition, the President granted a petition to redesignate bamboo plywood (HTS 4412.10.05) and certain tropical hardwood plywood (HTS 4412.31.4155 (pre-November 1, 2019) and HTS 4412.31.45 (post November 1, 2019)) from Indonesia to GSP. Qualifying products, therefore, now enter the United States duty-free.
- List III: one product from North Macedonia exceeded the CNLs, for which no petition was received, and now enters the United States at the NTR duty rate. This product is motor vehicles with diesel engine for 16 or more passengers (HTS 8702.10.31).
- List IV: the President granted a petition for a CNL waiver for plastic spectacle lenses (HTS 9001.50.00) from Thailand; qualifying products will continue to enter the United States duty-free. The President denied a petition for a CNL waiver for stearic acid (HTS 3823.11.00) from Indonesia. Therefore, the product is subject to the NTR duty rate.
- List V: the President granted one-year de minimis waivers to 27 products that exceeded the 50- percent import-share CNL but for which the aggregate value of all US imports of that article was below the 2018 de minimis level of $24 million. Qualifying products will continue to enter the United States duty-free
