Congress Members Circulating Letter to Restore India's GSP Benefits

Former New Democrat Coalition head Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., is leading a bipartisan letter asking that the administration restore India to the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program. The letter, which is still being circulated in a bid for more signatures before an introduction in September, notes that the House voted 400-2 to reauthorize the GSP program in 2018.

“GSP saved American companies over $1 billion in eliminated tariffs in 2018. India’s inclusion in GSP was responsible for a quarter of those savings,” Himes and his colleagues wrote. “Firms that enjoyed tariff-free imports for years have paid tens of millions of dollars in just two months.”

If the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is not prepared to completely restore India's eligibility, they suggest considering “an 'early harvest' approach that reinstates some GSP benefits if India removes specific barriers.” Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kan.; Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.; Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill.; and Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., have joined the letter.