Fair Trade Importer Laments GSP Expiration
Typically, we focus solely on the impacts of GSP expiration on American companies. Yet the story below shows not only the problems caused at home, but also the negative repercussions felt in developing countries. Even worse, the existence of options for exporting duty free to the United States has become a major consideration for Americ...
Continue readingGSP Supporter List Now Available by Congressional District
As more and more companies have added their names to the GSP Supporter List, it started to get a bit unwieldy. This is a great problem to have, but to make it easier to read, we created another version of the list that breaks down companies by Congressional District. (Note: updated 5/3.) This list makes...
Continue readingIf Not GSP Countries, Then Where?
On Wednesday, we showed that 73 percent of the top imports under GSP lost market share in the first two months of 2011 compared to one year earlier. Across the board, general trends showed a shift away from GSP imports in favor of imports from other countries/under other programs. Since company examples are always better...
Continue readingGSP Supporter List Tops 160
The GSP Supporter List is now up to 163 companies and associations. These organizations are headquartered in 34 states, 109 congressional districts, and the District of Columbia. The pace of new companies signing on to the list has slowed, but we’re still adding at least one new name – and often more – almost every...
Continue readingIs Expiration (Already) Causing a Shift Away from GSP Imports?
Yesterday, we posted that GSP expiration cost American companies $100 million through the first two months of 2011. If you continued reading beyond the headline, you probably remember us saying that “it’s too soon to make bold claims about the impact on sourcing decisions.” We stand by that statement, but…. Toda...
Continue reading$100 Million – The Cost for 2 Months of GSP Expiration
The U.S. Census Bureau released trade data today for February 2011, allowing us to update our GSP expiration costs. Through the first two months of the year, American companies paid an estimated $100 million in tariffs on (previously) GSP-eligible products. Perhaps that is why nearly 160 companies and associations have already added the...
Continue readingIllinois Manufacturer Faces Unexpected Tariffs of Tens of Thousands of Dollars
Every now and again, people reach out to us with a story that epitomizes the experiences of companies around the country impacted by GSP expiration. We received one such email over the weekend from a company in Illinois, which we’ve posted in its entirety after the jump [all emphasis is ours]. This is the type...
Continue readingUSTR Kirk, SoS Clinton Urge Congress to Renew GSP
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently sent a joint letter to Congress urging the re-authorization of the GSP and other preference programs “at the earliest opportunity and for the longest period possible.” Many of the letter’s themes could be taken right off Renew GSP Today: -GSP import...
Continue readingGSP Supporter List Hits 150 Orgs; Admin Calls Once Again for Attention to Preference Programs
As of this afternoon, the GSP Supporter List hit 150 companies/associations. Thanks to everyone who’s helped pass along information about our efforts or found us on their own and decided to sign on. More than half of the signatories have never participated in any of the Coalition’s previous outreach or lobbying efforts, meaning th...
Continue readingWhat We Need Is Certainty
I received an email yesterday from the owner of a company in Portland, Oregon that imports under both GSP and the Andean preferences. I’ve worked with this person on GSP issues for several years, but when I asked to add his name to the GSP Supporter List, the response caught me off-guard, to say the...
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