House Passes One Year Extension of GSP; MTB Expected to be Introduced Soon

December 15, 2009

Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation (H.R. 4284) to extend the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) for one year, without change through December 31, 2010. The Senate is also expected to pass the measure shortly, according to trade sources.

In related news, the House Ways and Means Committee is expected to introduce its Omnibus Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB), possibly as early as today. This bill is said to consist of over 600 “non-controversial” and fully-vetted tariff measures held over from the last session of Congress.

By contrast, the Senate is working to compile an omnibus package of new trade measures introduced in the current session. Like the House, the Senate is expected to put forward a package of non-controversial measures this year for passage, while holding some measures until early 2010 for more thorough vetting.