Pork producers, others raise issues about AGOA and GPS
November 19, 2013 | 06:59 PM
Two ad hoc coalitions of agriculture groups involving the National Pork Producers Council have sent letters to Congress opposing a long-term or permanent extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and urging Congress to make changes during any renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which expired at the end of July.
“Our concern with a long-term extension of the act or making it permanent is that in either case any incentive for beneficiary nations to move toward reciprocal trade relationships with the United States would be removed,” the groups wrote.
“Moreover, we do not believe that AGOA recipient nations should be rewarded for maintaining barriers to U.S. exports that go beyond those permitted in trade agreements. U.S. producers and exporters are unfairly losing export sales and costing the United States jobs."
Another coalition of agriculture groups noted that GSP encourages economic development by offering developing countries tariff-free treatment to many of their products and that around 130 countries received such benefits on some 5,000 products shipped to the United States.
But the ag groups also noted that the countries are supposed to offer “equitable and reasonable access to markets” and said they are often using sanitary and phytosanitary barriers in flagrant obligation of international obligations of U.S. product.
The groups detailed what they consider to be violations in some countries and said, Congress should “establish clearer eligibility requirements that would revoke GSP privileges partially or fully from nations that fail to accord U.S. products treatment consistent with international rules.”
“Our concern with a long-term extension of the act or making it permanent is that in either case any incentive for beneficiary nations to move toward reciprocal trade relationships with the United States would be removed,” the groups wrote.
“Moreover, we do not believe that AGOA recipient nations should be rewarded for maintaining barriers to U.S. exports that go beyond those permitted in trade agreements. U.S. producers and exporters are unfairly losing export sales and costing the United States jobs."
Another coalition of agriculture groups noted that GSP encourages economic development by offering developing countries tariff-free treatment to many of their products and that around 130 countries received such benefits on some 5,000 products shipped to the United States.
But the ag groups also noted that the countries are supposed to offer “equitable and reasonable access to markets” and said they are often using sanitary and phytosanitary barriers in flagrant obligation of international obligations of U.S. product.
The groups detailed what they consider to be violations in some countries and said, Congress should “establish clearer eligibility requirements that would revoke GSP privileges partially or fully from nations that fail to accord U.S. products treatment consistent with international rules.”
