WT/COMTD/PTA/3/2  
 
22 March 2018 
(18-1748) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Trade and Development  
Dedicated Session on Preferential Trade Arrangements  Original: English  
 
UNITED STATES TRADE PREFERENCES FO R NEPAL  
QUESTIONS AND REPLIE S 
 The following communication, dated  15 March 2018 , is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of the United States.  
 
 The document reproduces the questions addressed to the United States  and the responses 
submitted.  
 
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Questions from the delegation of China  
 
Question 1  
 
Taking into consideration that the US GSP scheme covers more zero tariff lines than 
USTPN, how would the US avoid the negative impacts for Nepal’s ov erall export to the 
US, due to the expiration of the US GSP scheme?  
 
Reply :  
 
In the past, when Congress reauthorized the GSP program, it applied duty -free treatment to 
GSP-eligible products retroactively to the expiration of the program, thereby allowing importers to 
seek refunds of duties paid.  The GSP reauthorization bill (H.R. 4979) that passed the United States 
House of Representatives on February 13, 2018 includes a provision to retroactively extend GSP 
benefits to the date when the authorization for the GSP program expired on January 1, 2018.  The 
next step in the process of GSP reauthorization is for the United States Senate to consider the bill. 
If H.R. 4979 passes the United States Senate during the current Congress, it will then be 
presented to th e United States President for his sig nature.  
 
Question 2  
 
Please introduce any plan and work progress to continue extending the US GSP scheme.  
 
Reply :  
 
The United States House of Representatives passed a bill (H.R. 4979) providing retroactive 
reauthorization of the GSP program on February 13, 2018. The next step in the process of GSP 
reauthorization is for the United States Senate to consider the bill.  If H.R. 4979 passes the United 
States Senate during the current Congress, it will then be pr esented to the United State s President 
for his signature.  
 
Question 3 
 
According to “Table 1: US imports of 77 USTPN products, by product category” on page 
7, in 2015, Nepal’s export of Textiles and Leather, footwear, etc., to the US declined, 
while the ex port of Clothing kept increasing. Please introduce the causes to the different 
trends.  
 WT/COMTD/PTA/3/2  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Reply :  
 
We are not in a position to speculate on what the causes might have been for the small 
year-on-year changes in U.S. imports of these products from Nepal.  
 
Question 4  
 
Please provide the data on Nepal’s export of Textiles, Leather, footwear, etc., and 
Clothing, to the US, in 2016 and 2017, so that Members could assess USTPN’s effects 
comprehensively.  
 
Reply : 
 
U.S. Imports from Nepal of Textiles, Leather, Foot wear, and Clothing  (US$)  
  2016 2017 
HS: 42  
ARTICLES OF LEATHER; SADDLERY AND HARNESS; TRAVEL GOODS, 
HANDBAGS AND SIMILAR CONTAINERS; ARTICLES OF GUT (OTHER 
THAN SILKWORM GUT)  GSP 578,466  947,235  
 Nepal 
Preference  0 510,886  
 No program 
claimed  1,167,783  297,357  
Subtotal - 42  1,746,249  1,755,478  
HS: 50  
SILK, INCLUDING YARNS AND WOVEN FABRICS THEREOF  No program 
claimed  19,213  2,467  
 GSP 523 432 
Subtotal - 50  19,736  2,899  
HS: 51  
WOOL AND FINE OR COARSE ANIMAL HAIR, INCLUDING YARNS AND 
WOVEN FABRICS THEREOF; HORSEHAIR YARN AND WOVEN FABRIC  No program 
claimed  220,270  177,746  
HS: 52  
COTTON, INCLUDING YARNS AND WOVEN FABRICS THEREOF  No program 
claimed  2,622  3,624  
HS: 53  
VEGETABLE TEXTILE FIBERS NESOI; YARNS AND WOVEN FABRICS 
OF VEGETABLE TEXTILE FIBERS NESOI AND PAPER  No program 
claimed  14,910  3,301  
HS: 55  
MANMADE STAPLE FIBERS, INCLUDING YARNS AND WOVEN 
FABRICS THEREOF  No program 
claimed  357 0 
HS: 56  
WADDING, FELT AND NONWOVENS; SPECIAL YARNS; TWINE, 
CORDAGE, ROPES AND CABLES AND ARTICLES THEREOF  No program 
claimed  296,927  257,770  
HS: 57  
CARPETS AND OTHER TEXTILE FLOOR COVERINGS  No program 
claimed  42,434,272  35,598,547  
 GSP 530,653  379,382  
 Nepal 
Preference  0 135,134  
Subtotal - 57  42,964,925  36,113,063  
HS: 58  
SPECIAL WOVEN FABRICS; TUFTED TEXTILE FABRICS; LACE; 
TAPESTRIES; TRIMMINGS; EMBROIDERY  No program 
claimed  8,572  7,096  
HS: 59  
IMPREGNATED, COATED, COVERED OR LAMINATED TEXTILE 
FABRICS; TEXTILE ARTICLES SUITABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL USE  No program 
claimed  101,037  30,138  
HS: 60 
KNITTED OR CROCHETED FABRICS  No program 
claimed  0 9,119  WT/COMTD/PTA/3/2  
 
- 3 - 
 
  U.S. Imports from Nepal of Textiles, Leather, Foot wear, and Clothing  (US$)  
HS: 61  
ARTICLES OF APPAREL AND CLOTHING ACCESSORIES, KNITTED OR 
CROCHETED  No program 
claimed  5,791,360  4,111,587  
 Nepal 
Preference  
 0 73,015  
 GSP 39,978  40,498  
Subtotal - 61  5,831,338  4,225,100  
HS: 62  
ARTICLES OF APPAREL AND CLOTHING ACCESSORIES, NOT 
KNITTED OR CROCHETED  No program 
claimed  7,608,873  6,423,176  
 Nepal 
Preference  0 612,456  
 GSP 168,002  168,110  
Subtotal - 62  7,776,875  7,203,742  
HS: 63  
MADE -UP TEXTILE ARTICLES NESOI; NEEDLECRAFT SETS; WORN 
CLOTHING AND WORN TEXTILE ARTICLES; RAGS  No program 
claimed  1,966,377  3,880,642  
 GSP 4,113,510  3,294,428  
 Nepal 
Preference  0 1,580  
Subtotal - 63  6,079,887  7,176,650  
HS: 64  
FOOTWEAR, GAITERS AND THE LIKE; PARTS OF SUCH ARTICLES  No program 
claimed  111,733  144,522  
HS: 65  
HEADGEAR AND PARTS THEREOF  Nepal 
Preference  0 923,227  
 No program 
claimed  1,602,818  468,328  
 GSP 18,061  7,396  
Subtotal - 65  1,620,879  1,398,951  
 
 
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