(ARLINGTON, Va. – Feb. 3, 2015) – The following is a statement from Juanita D. Duggan, President and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, on today’s re-introduction of the GSP UPDATE Act, which would lift the exclusion of travel goods from the existing Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program.
“Today’s proposal by Congress to update the long-outdated GSP program is a critical step to continuing the success of this important trade program. Including travel goods such as backpacks, luggage, and phone cases, in the GSP puts our trade policy in line with today’s global economy.
The GSP Update is a bipartisan, non-controversial trade bill that Congress can act on immediately. Taking action on measures such as the GSP UPDATE Act now will offer a sign of confidence in the larger trade conversations that will quickly follow.
AAFA has long been advocating for reducing barriers to trade which would benefit both consumers and trade-based jobs in the U.S. We thank Senator Blunt and Congressman Crenshaw for their leadership on this bill, and look forward to working with Congress on common-sense trade policies.”
Last month, Duggan sent a letter to House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT), urging swift action on a series of expired and expiring measures. In the letter, Duggan said action on these trade bills will signal immediate re-engagement to our trading partners, and should be pursued ahead of a comprehensive Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill.