The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced today that USTR is closing the GSP IP eligibility review of Uzbekistan opened in 1999, following Uzbekistan’s accession to the Geneva Phonograms Convention, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty, and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty. The GSP worker rights eligibility review of Uzbekistan will remain open.
USTR also announced it is opening new GSP eligibility reviews for two countries: South Africa, based on IP protection and enforcement concerns, and Azerbaijan, based on worker rights concerns. USTR also is closing GSP eligibility reviews with no loss of GSP eligibility for three countries: Bolivia and Iraq, based on improvements in the protection of worker rights in those countries, and Uzbekistan, based on improvements in its protection and enforcement of IP rights.
