H.R. 4979: To extend the Generalized System of Preferences and to make technical changes to the competitive need limitations provision of the program.

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H.R. 4979: To extend the Generalized System of Preferences and to make technical changes to the competitive need limitations provision of the program.

115th Congress · introduced 2018-02-08 · Foreign Trade and International Finance · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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Official title

To extend the Generalized System of Preferences and to make technical changes to the competitive need limitations provision of the program.

Plain summary

(Sec. 1) This bill extends the Generalized System of Preferences (a U.S. trade preference program that provides duty-free access to imports on products from certain developing countries) through 2020. The U.S. Trade Representative, within one year of this bill's enactment and annually thereafter through December 31, 2020, must report to the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee on efforts to ensure that countries designated as beneficiary developing countries under the Trade Act of 1974 are meeting the eligibility criteria set forth in that Act. (Sec. 2) The Trade Act of 1974 is amended to modify the deadline for the review process with respect to the competitive needs limitation. (The competitive need limitation terminates duty-free treatment with respect to articles from a beneficiary developing country if certain import limits are exceeded.) (Sec. 3) The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 is amended to extend through August 1, 2027, the authority for customs user fees for the processing of merchandise formally entered or released into the United States.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Reichert, David G. [R-WA-8] · 11 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 4979, a bill to extend the Generalized System of Preferences and to make technical changes to the competitive need limitations provision of the program (2018-02-12)

Cosponsors on this site

Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Mike Kelly (R-PA)

Recorded votes

• House roll call 71 (2018): On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, HR4979 (2018-02-13): Passed

Sources

• Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)
• Congress.gov
• Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115hr4979.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>

Record fed-us-cong115-hr4979 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115