U.S. trade preference programs such as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) provide opportunities for many of the world’s poorest countries to use trade to grow their economies and climb out of poverty. GSP is the largest and oldest U.S. trade preference program. Established by the Trade Act of 1974, GSP promotes economic development by eliminating duties on thousands of products when imported from one of 119 designated beneficiary countries and territories. The GSP Guidebook provides basic information on the program.
GSP promotes economic growth and development in the developing world.
GSP promotes sustainable development in beneficiary countries by helping these countries to increase and diversify their trade with the United States. The GSP program provides additional benefits for products from least developed countries. The list of products eligible for duty-free treatment when imported from GSP beneficiaries can be found here.
GSP supports U.S. jobs and helps keep American companies competitive.
Moving GSP imports from the docks to U.S. consumers, farmers, and manufacturers supports tens of thousands of jobs in the United States. GSP also boosts American competitiveness by reducing costs of imported inputs used by U.S. companies to manufacture goods in the United States. GSP is especially important to U.S. small businesses, many of which rely on the programs’ duty savings to stay competitive.
GSP promotes American values.
In addition to promoting economic opportunity in developing countries, the GSP program also supports progress by beneficiary countries in affording worker rights to their people, in enforcing intellectual property rights, and in supporting the rule of law. As part of the GSP Annual Review, USTR conducts in-depth reviews of beneficiary countries’ practices in response to petitions from interested parties.
