Fair Trade Handicrafts face increase in duty, due to a lack of action by congress.
On January 1st 2011 the GSP Duty Free provisions to assist the poorest countries through trade expired. In the last few days of the last congress, an extension was approved by the House but rejected by the Senate, due to the objections of a few Republican senators.
GSP is both a tool to fight poverty overseas and it’s good for business here, if ever political consensus should be possible, this is it.
In the coming week’s congress will need to revisit this. For the sake of artisans worldwide who are working to lift themselves out of poverty and US businesses that need this duty free importing to survive, please encourage your representatives to support the duty free status of handmade items from the poorest nations.
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No objections possible unless we really want every single thing made in China.
I think this is the creasiest thing that can ever happen. Anything that will make it more difficult to import hand made crafts thru taxes is totaly unacceptable to the poor Artisans majority of whom comprise women who must servive on a daily basis by being able to sell at a fair price to America and America be able to sell at a price not exagerated by Tax. This kind of move can result in half of the worlds Artisans being deprived of their livelihood hence sink back to poverty thereby loosing all the gains fair trade has worked so hard to build.
we dont understand how some human beings in their right mind could sit back and enjoy a world in poverty. We tottaly object to the tax increase because as a producers, all we see if this goes thru are women and children dying of hunger. Hand made Crafts must remain duty free.
Joab and Philomena