House Votes Extends Trade Programs

On Monday, the House voted to extend two trade programs for one more year, according to the Journal of Commerce. The General System of Preferences and the Andean Trade Preference Act will expire December 31st and have been enacted for several years.

The General System of Preferences allows developing nations to export selected goods to the United States duty-free and the Andean Trade Preference Act gives similar benefits for exporters in Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru in exchange for cooperation in counter-narcotics efforts.

“As Congress and the administration increasingly shift their attention to job creation, we encourage them to remember the important role trade can play in boosting the U.S. economy through exports,” said Chuck Dittrich, vice president for regional trade initiatives.

Extending the programs for one more year will give the U.S. government opportunity to analyze all preference programs available.

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