The RV Industry Association’s Government Affairs Committee keeps close watch on legislation at the state and federal level that would have an impact on the RV industry. It had this report on a recent bill introduced in the U.S. Senate.
“In a victory for the RV Industry Association and other associations advocating for a longer duration for the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program, yesterday Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden of Oregon introduced a bill doing just that.
“Wyden’s bill, the Trade Preferences and American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2021, would reauthorize the Generalized System of Preferences program for a full 7 years, rather than the shorter periods we have seen with recent renewals. Specifically, the bill would extend the program retroactively to Jan. 1, 2021, with a new expiration date of Dec. 31, 2027.
“The bill pairs the renewal with new criteria for participating countries, including:
- Requiring the beneficiary country to ‘effectively enforce its environmental laws or regulations” and “adopt and maintain measures implementing its obligations under common multilateral environmental agreements;’
- Ensuring that any beneficiary country has not ‘engag(ed) in gross violations of internationally recognized human rights in that country;’
- Considering the extent to which the country is achieving goals surrounding women’s rights and gender equality;
- Considering the extent to which the country has established ’or is making continual progress towards establishing‘ rule of law, economic policies to reduce poverty, and a system to combat corruption and bribery;
- Considering the extent to which the country has refrained from imposing or eliminated digital trade barriers, and taken steps to ensure digital consumer protections.
“The RV Industry Association has been one of the loudest voices in support of a longer renewal and applauds Sen. Wyden for introducing legislation that would provide long-term certainty for American manufacturers who rely on the GSP program.
“‘The RV Industry Association congratulates Sen. Wyden for introducing an ambitious renewal plan that balances new criteria with the certainty of a longer-term duration,’ said RV Industry Association Senior Manager of Government Affairs, Samantha Rocci. ‘As long-time supporters of the GSP program, the RV Industry Association is happy to see legislation that prioritizes renewing the GSP program and providing desperately needed certainty to American businesses by lengthening the program’s term. The RV industry alone is paying over $1 million a month in duties, millions of dollars which can’t be used towards hiring workers and expanding facilities as we emerge from COVID-19. We hope Congress can come together and quickly renew this bipartisan program – American businesses have waited long enough.’”
