Kouboo sells home decor products that are handmade from natural materials, such as rattan vines. Kouboo was started by Patrice and Joey Gerber with products sourced from the Philippines, and sourcing expanded to Indonesia and Myanmar. The handmade nature of the products provides significant employment opportunities in GSP countries, especially for women weavers in poor, rural areas.

As Kouboo has grown, GSP savings rose dramatically: from a few hundred dollars per month in 2013 to a few thousand dollars per week in 2020. So has the number of women artisans supported by Kouboo’s GSP imports into the United States.

In the first clip, Patrice explains how higher tariffs from GSP expiration, along with global shipping delays and the pandemic, combine to create the “perfect storm” for his business. While Kouboo converted one part-time worker into a full-time worker on January 1 (it’s first non-family member), the impact of higher tariffs plus higher shipping costs forced Kouboo to put plans for another full-time hire on hold.

In the second clip, Patrice provides information on how their products are manufactured, and how GSP/their products provide employment opportunities, especially to rural women. Since men’s agricultural income typically isn’t enough, the women’s income reduces pressure for children to work – improving access to education – as well as pressure to leave the rural areas for urban ones in search of jobs. The unique nature of the products, and limited alternative employment options in the villages, means lost GSP hurts many without even the possibility that someone else could gain.

Kouboo is a great example of how lost GSP hurts companies and workers in both the United States and developing countries. If you’re like Kouboo and harmed by GSP expiration, please add your name to our free GSP supporter list.

GSP eliminates hundreds of thousands of dollars in tariffs annually on Cannon’s imports from Myanmar and Sri Lanka. The savings are passed along to Cannon’s customers, while helping those GSP countries “compete with giants like China.”

Watch CEO Frank Cannon explain how why its so important for Congress to renew GSP this year.

If you’re a GSP importer, submit your own video testimonial here.

GSP’s current authorization expires on December 31, 2020, and Congress must pass legislation renewing GSP this year for benefits to continue into 2021 and beyond. Companies that want GSP renewed should add their name to the free GSP supporter list.

By GSP savings, California was far and away the largest GSP beneficiary. California’s estimated $270 million in tariffs waved was nearly as much as the next four largest states – Florida, New York, Texas, New Jersey – combined.

While overall savings levels were lower, imports into Montana and Maine would face the highest average tariffs without GSP (10.9% and 10.6%, respectively). The high average tariff waived results from the dominance of travel goods imports, which can face tariffs up to 20.0% without GSP. GSP waives tariffs averaging about 7.0% on imports into Utah, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Colorado, well above the 5.0% national average.

U.S. companies saved about $180 million in tariffs on imports from Thailand – more than any other country – though GSP eligibility for about 1/3 of imports its products were removed in April 2020. Cambodia was the second most important country for U.S. savings at $169 million, following by Indonesia at $150 million. Despite being GSP-eligible for only 5 months, India was the fourth-most important country in terms of savings at $121 million. Like the states, countries such as Burma and Cambodia where travel goods are most important GSP products had the highest average tariffs waived.