SFIA is committed to lowering tariffs on industry products. The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program allows for the duty-free entry of products made in more than 100 eligible countries. SFIA actively engaged in the successful effort to expand the GSP to include sports bags, backpacks, and equipment bags. SFIA and its members testified and submitted comments during the GSP expansion hearings, which led to the opening up this duty-free program to bags, allowing companies to avoid up to 17.9% tariffs on bags imported into the U.S. The GSP expired at the end of 2020 and Congress has failed to reauthorize it due to disputes on labor and environmental standards in GSP countries.
The GSP Coalition is seeking to increase pressure on Congress and looking for companies willing to share how the lapse of the GSP program has impacted their business and sourcing decisions. If you are interested in sharing your story, please click here for more information. Do not worry about the deadline for the article, the link will remain open indefinitely and the GSP Coalition can use examples on the impact of the program’s lapse to press for Congressional action.
For more information or for questions, please contact Bill Sells, SVP, Government & Public Affairs, at [email protected].