U.S. adds Kosovo, Azerbaijan to trade benefits program

WASHINGTON: The United States will add Azerbaijan and Kosovo, which declared its independence from Serbia earlier this year, to the list of countries whose goods are eligible for U.S. duty-free treatment under a longstanding program, the White House said on Friday.

President George W. Bush issued a proclamation adding the two countries to the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences program, which provides duty-free entry for more than 4,650 products from 131 designated countries and territories.

Bush added Serbia to the list of GSP beneficiary countries on June 30, a little more than fourth months after Kosovo declared its independence.

"In light of Kosovo's independence from Serbia, I have determined that Kosovo should be designated as a separate GSP beneficiary developing country," Bush said in a letter to leaders of Congress.

Full Article via International Herald Tribune