On October 30, 2020, Trump signed a Presidential Proclamation announcing changes to Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) eligibility for preferential treatment based on the US Trade Representative’s (USTR) 2020 GSP Program review findings.

The decisions include:

  • Revoked Benefits – Certain products imported from Thailand under GSP preferential treatment (approximate one-sixth of Thailand’s GSP trade) will be removed from the eligibility list and will no longer be treated as duty-free effective December 30, 2020 (12:01 am). The list of the revoked products can be found in GSP 2020 Decisions – Annex I.
  • Removed Benefits – Parboiled rice (HTS 1006.30.10) is removed from the GSP eligibility list for all GSP Beneficiary Developing Countries (BDCs) effective November 1, 2020 (12:01 am). The list of removed products can be found in GSP 2020 Decisions – Annex II.
  • Added Benefits – Fresh-cut roses (HTS 0603.11.00) are added to the eligibility list for all GSP BDC’s effective November 1, 2020 (12:01 am).  The list of added products can be found in GSP 2020 Decisions – Annex II.
  • De Minimis Competitive Need Limit (CNL) Waiver – Competitive Need Limitations (CNLs) are waived for products in which total imports of the article did not exceed $24.5 million effective November 1, 2020 (12:01 am). The detailed list can be found in GSP 2020 Decisions – Annex III.
  • CNL Removal – Six (6) products from Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Indonesia that exceeded the $190 million CNL threshold for imports from a single country are removed from GSP eligibility effective November 1, 2020. The detailed list can be found in GSP 2020 Decisions – Annex II.
  • Continued Benefits – Georgia, Uzbekistan, and Indonesia will continue to receive GSP preferential treatment. 

According to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials, the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) will be updated to accept and process related GSP claims with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the effective dates mentioned above.

Click here to view the official GSP Presidential Proclamation issued on October 30.

We encourage any importers with questions related to GSP to contact the Shapiro Compliance Team.

Shapiro will continue to monitor the situation and provide status updates as they become available.