The United Kingdom (UK), with its withdrawal from the EU (known as the BREXIT), has introduced its new UK GSP Scheme on 01st January 2021 and Sri Lanka is benefiting under its sub-arrangement called Enhanced Framework (EF) mechanism which broadly replicates the EU-GSP+ Scheme.
The UK has decided to review its above GSP scheme to develop a new scheme which they expect to be simpler, support sustainable growth and be in coherence with the UK’s new trade policy. Simplifying of Rules of Origin (RoO) requirements for LDCs, reducing tariffs for countries classified as Low-Income and Lower Middle- Income (i.e for Sri Lanka) and re-assessing approach to goods graduation etc, are the main changes that are expected to be introduced to their new GSP Scheme.
As a part of the above process, the UK Government has launched a 08-Week Public Consultation on 19.07.2021 that will end on 12.09.2021. Any sector of the society, including businesses, the general public, civil society, consumers, associations, international stakeholders and government sector institutions can make submissions- online -, under the consultations.
The consultation questionnaire prepared by the UK focuses on the areas such as possible amendments to the UK’s GSP tariff schedule, possible changes to the goods on graduation, comments on ROOs criteria, including cumulation, and the product-specific rules etc. (Annex 3)
The Department of Commerce (DoC) under the purview of the Ministry of Trade, will coordinate the above consultation process in Sri Lanka and as a responsible stakeholder in the consultation process, the NCE will also be submitting the concerns of the exporters.
The details of the UK’s public consultation on designing the UK trade preferences scheme for developing nations can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/designing-the-uk-trade-preferences-scheme-for-developing-nations
The online questioner can be accessed via
https://qfreeaccountssjc1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_71Uup1kN0ZhD8tE
Also please, find the documents enclosed.
ii. Information Pack on the UK’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences (Annex II)
iii. Consultation on the UK Trade Preferences Scheme
iv. GSP Consultation- Commodity Codes Table (Annex IV)
Thankful to receive your inputs related to your sector to be submitted in the above consultation process. Share your concerns/views via email to nathali.f@nce.lk by 17th August 2021.
If you wish to submit your comments and inputs to the consultation process on your own, pls. process via below weblink
https://qfreeaccountssjc1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_71Uup1kN0ZhD8tE