Pakistan seeks renewal of US tariff waiver

Pakistan joined 26 other nations on Monday in urging US lawmakers to expedite legislation for the renewal of the Generalised System of Preference (GSP) programme for developing countries. Instituted in 1971, with support from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, GSP is a tariff waiver programme on nearly 5,000 products from over 120 countries. Pakistan is a member of the 27-nation Alliance of GSP Countries and also on a US list of nations that benefit from tariff reliefs under the programme. In a letter distributed on Monday, the alliance urged the US Senate and the House of Representatives to provide bipartisan support to the programme and expedite legislation for its renewal. Pakistan’s US Ambassador Masood Khan co-signed the letter, along with other 26 ambassadors.