The Government of Canada is seeking public feedback on Canada’s tariff preference program for imports from developing and least developed countries (LDCs).

The tariffs were last renewed in 2015 and are currently set to expire on Dec. 31, 2024.

Canada currently extends non-reciprocal preferential tariffs to imports from developing and least developed countries through two programs, known as the General Preferential Tariff (GPT) and the Least Developed Country Tariff (LDCT), to facilitate and promote their export-driven industrialization and development.

The General Preferential Tariff (GPT) offers duty-free treatment or reduced tariffs to 106 developing countries on 84% of tariff lines. This includes most goods, other than apparel, textile products, footwear, and certain sensitive agricultural goods including supply-managed products.

The Least Developed Country Tariff (LDCT) offers duty-free treatment for essentially all goods, excluding only over-quota supply-managed products, from 49 LDCs largely based on the UN List of Least Developed Countries.

The following countries currently qualify for the GPT and LDCT program:

  • Afghanistan
  • Angola
  • Bangladesh
  • Benin
  • Bhutan
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burma
  • Burundi
  • Cambodia
  • Cape Verde
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Comoros
  • Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Djibouti
  • Eritrea
  • Ethiopia
  • Gambia
  • Guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Haiti
  • Kiribati
  • Laos
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Mali
  • Mauritania
  • Mozambique
  • Nepal
  • Niger
  • Rwanda
  • Samoa
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Senegal
  • Sierra Leone
  • Solomon Islands
  • Somalia
  • South Sudan
  • Sudan
  • Tanzania
  • Timor-Leste
  • Togo
  • Tuvalu
  • Uganda
  • Vanuatu
  • Yemen
  • Zambia

The Government specifically wants to hear feedback from you on the following topics:

1. Creating a new GPT+ program extending tariff benefits based on labour and environmental criteria. This proposal would expand tariff benefits for developing countries that meet certain international labour rights and environmental standards and ensure closer alignment with Canada’s broader trade and development policy objectives and free trade agreements;

2. Updating GPT eligibility through a formal five-year review process;

3. Introducing a 3-year transition period following LDCT graduation to minimize supply chain disruptions; and,

4. Simplifying program requirements to ease administrative burden and reduce compliance costs for businesses.

To have your say, you can give feedback via email to [email protected] with “Consultation on the Renewal of Canada’s Tariff Preference Programs for Developing Countries” as the subject line.

You can read the Public Consultation Notice here.

And if you’d like more details, you can read the consultation paper in full here.

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