Industry News

USTR Seeks Comments on Ecuador Eligibility for ATPA

April 25, 2012


The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is requesting comments on whether Ecuador is meeting the eligibility criteria as a beneficiary country of the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA). Under section 203(f) of the ATPA, the USTR must review comments from interested parties regarding beneficiary countries and criteria set forth in 19 U.S.C. 3203(b)(6)(B) in order to submit a report to the Congress on the operation of the ATPA by June 30, 2012. Ecuador will soon be the single remaining ATPA beneficiary country. The ATPA originally designated Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru as beneficiary countries, so long as they met ATPA requirements. In June 2009 Bolivia lost its beneficiary status. Then Peru lost preferential treatment with the passage of the Section 201 of the Omnibus Trade Act of 2010. Finally, when the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement enters into force on May 15, 2012, Colombia will also lose eligibility. Comments are due at noon on May 22, 2012.

A list of eligibility criteria can be found here.

For further information, please contact a Barnes/Richardson attorney.