Philippines requests US to include garments, shoes in GSP

09 May '23

1 min read

Pic: Adobe Stock

Insights

The Philippines has requested the US to extend zero-tariff to its garments and shoes.
The request was conveyed by department of trade and industry secretary Alfredo Pascual to US commerce secretary Gina Raimondo in Washington, DC, during the visit of President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr., who called for the renewal of the US Generalised System of Preferences.

Philippine department of trade and industry (DTI) secretary Alfredo Pascual recently requested US commerce secretary Gina Raimondo to extend zero-tariff to Philippine-made garments and shoes.

He met Raimondo during Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr.’s official visit to Washington, D.C., where he met President Joe Biden and called for the renewal of the US Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) at a meeting with business executives.

The US GSP, which provides zero duty for 3,500 tariff lines, expired on December 31, 2020, and is yet to be reauthorised by the Congress.

DTI under-secretary Ceferino Rodolfo—who is also part of the delegation—said the US executive authorities have conveyed their support for the reauthorisation, and therefore, the Philippine government is hopeful.

The US executive department is also supportive of the provision that the tariffs paid since 2021 will be reimbursed, he added.

The delegation has planned to meet at least eight US companies, hoping to bring in more investments and jobs, Pascual was quoted as saying by a news agency.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

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