4 November 2011
GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES - UNITED STATES
Guide
A - BASIC INFORMATION:
1) Member implementing the PTA:
United States
2) Date PTA entered into force:
Date: 1 January 1976
Link:
http://www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/trade-development/preference-programs/generalizedsystem-preference-gsp
3) Date of last renewal of the PTA (where applicable):
- Date: 21 October 2011
- Link to Public Law 112-40: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-112publ40/pdf/PLAW112publ40.pdf
4) Date of notification to the GATT/WTO and symbol of GATT/WTO documents:
- Date: 9 January 1976
- GATT document L/4299
5) Date of expiration of PTA:
- Date: 31 July 2013 (see link above to Public Law 112-40)
6) Enactment of PTA, Related Legislation and Publication of PTA modifications:
a) Trade Act of 1974 (19 USC 2461-2467) http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/1170
b) USTR Regulations pertaining to the GSP (15 CFR 2007) http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/1169
c) Customs regulations pertaining to the GSP (19 CFR 10.171-10.178)
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2011/aprqtr/19cfr10.171.htm
d) Modifications can be found in the GSP Federal Register notices: http://www.ustr.gov/tradetopics/trade-development/preference-programs/generalized-system-preference-gsp/gsp-federal-reg
7) Authority(ies) granting the beneficial treatment:
President of the United States http://www.whitehouse.gov
8) National authorities in charge of PTA management:
Office of the US Trade Representative http://www.ustr.gov
B – REFERENCES TO INFORMATION ABOUT:
I. BENEFICIARIES
(a) Number and List of Beneficiaries:
Number in 2011: 129 (of which 42 LDC beneficiaries)
2011 beneficiaries list: http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/2469
(b) Eligibility:
19 USC Section 2462 http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/1170
(c) Restrictions to Eligibility:
19 USC Section 2462 http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/1170
(d) Modification to Beneficiaries List:
i) 19 USC Section 2462 http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/1170
ii) Announcements of modifications can be found in the GSP Federal Register notices
http://www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/trade-development/preference-programs/generalized-systempreference-gsp/gsp-federal-reg
II. SCOPE OF PRODUCTS (IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NOTIFYING MEMBER’S
CLASSIFICATION OF PRODUCTS)
(a) Number (tariff lines) and list of eligible products:
 2011 number for all beneficiary countries: 3,451 out of 10,449 tariff lines in chapters 01 to
97 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the US (HTSUS).
 Additional number for LDC beneficiaries: 1,430
 Articles eligible for GSP treatment are identified in the current edition of the Harmonized
Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), which is published by the U.S. International
Trade Commission (USITC). The complete HTSUS can be downloaded from the USITC
web site (http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts) or obtained from the field offices of the U.S.
Department of Commerce or at U.S. Embassies and Consulates. There is also a searchable
version of the HTSUS available at the USITC website. The USITC also maintains
"DataWeb," a searchable database of import statistics and other information, including
product eligibility information for GSP and other U.S. preference programmes, which can
be found at: http://dataweb.usitc.gov/scripts/gsp/gsp_tariff.asp
 For more information on products eligible for GSP visit the following link:
http://www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/trade-development/preference-programs/generalizedsystem-preferences-gsp/gsp-program-i-0
(b) Ineligible products:
i) See "Products not eligible for GSP" http://www.ustr.gov/sites/default/files/Non-GSP-products-in2009.pdf
ii) 19 USC Section 2643(b) http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/1170 is the statutory provision for
making certain products ineligible
(c) Modification to Eligible Products List:
i) 19 USC Section 2463 http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/1170
ii) Announcements of modifications can be found in the GSP Federal Register notices:
http://www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/trade-development/preference-programs/generalized-systempreference-gsp/gsp-federal-reg).
III. PTA TREATMENT
(a) Tariff Treatment:
19 USC Section 2461 http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/1170
(b) Exceptions:
19 USC Section 2463 http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/1170
(c) Different Preferential Treatment:
All products covered by the U.S. GSP programme are zero-duty. LDC beneficiaries are eligible for
duty-free treatment on a wider range of products than non-LDC beneficiaries.
19 USC Section 2462 http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/1170 provides that LDCs can be designated
as beneficiaries, and sets out the eligibility criteria
(d) Request for Preferential Treatment:
The procedures for requesting the addition of an article to the list of those designated as eligible for
GSP are set forth in 15 CFR 2007, which can found at http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/1169. The
GSP Guidebook available on the USTR web site also provides information on this topic. The
Guidebook can be accessed at: http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/2880.
IV. RULES OF ORIGIN (INCLUDING REQUISITES AND RESTRICTIONS)
19 USC Section 2463(a)(2) http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/1170
19 CFR 10.171-10.178 http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2011/aprqtr/19cfr10.171.htm
V. PREFERENTIAL DATA
Link: http://dataweb.usitc.gov/ (user registers online to create a login ID and password free of
charge)
Data relating to the GSP scheme of the United States can also be accessed from the WTO's
Database on Preferential Trade Arrangements, from here.