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Washington, 20 December 2008 – A few weeks before handing over his mandate, United States President George W. Bush has included Kosovo in a list of developing countries that may export goods to the U.S. without customs tariffs under the “Generalized System of Preferences” programme.
“At the day of the declaration of Kosovo’s independence from Serbia, I decided Kosovo to be a beneficiary country from this program”, a White House statement said, referring to Kosovo’s February 17 secession from Serbia.
Washington and most European Union members have already recognised the new state, while Serbia has vowed to never accept its independence.
The U.S. ‘Generalized System of Preferences’ provides preferential duty-free treatment to some 3,500 products from some 130 developing countries as part of a programme to aid economic development in poorer nations.
Kosovo’s main exports are raw materials, including corn flour, lead, and scrap metals, mostly steel and copper.
Source: Balkan Insight