44 lawmakers urge Trump administration to reinstate GSP for India

A bipartisan group of 44 influential lawmakers has urged the Trump administration to reinstate India’s designation as a beneficiary developing nation under the key GSP trade programme as part of a potential trade deal between the two countries.

In a letter to US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, the House members suggest an “early harvest” approach that “would ensure that long-sought market access gains for US industries are not held up by negotiations over remaining issues”.

The GSP is the largest and oldest US trade preference programme and is designed to promote economic development by allowing duty-free entry for thousands of products from designated beneficiary countries.

The Trump administration terminated India’s designation as a beneficiary developing nation under the Generalized System of Preferences in June.