Thaís Leitão
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Rio – At the end of this year the United States' General Preferential System, which gives certain countries, among them Brazil, special trade status and zero-tariff access to the US market for some goods, is scheduled to be phased out.

Roberto Abdenur, the Brazilian ambassador in Washington, says he would like to see the system extended in the case of Brazil. He points out that a large part of the US$3 billion Brazil exports to the US under the terms of the GPS are goods made by US subsidiaries in Brazil.

Under the GPS, in 2004 Brazil economized US$98 million in exemptions. Brazil's total 2004 exports to the US reached US$21 billion, with 15% (US$3 billion) getting GPS reduced import tariffs. That was only slightly less than India, with US$3.270 in GPS exemptions.

Translation: Allen Bennett