Competitive-need limitations impose ceilings on GSP benefits for each product and country. A country will automatically lose its GSP eligibility for a product when the levels are exceeded unless the CNLs are waived. A beneficiary country loses GSP eligibility for a product if, during the previous calendar year, U.S. imports of a GSP article from that country account for 50 percent or more of the value of total U.S. imports of that product or exceed a certain dollar value.

In the 2005 De Minimis Waiver and Redesignation Review, the GSP subcommittee evaluated the appraised import values of each GSP-eligible article in 2005 to determine whether an article from a GSP beneficiary developing country exceeded the GSP CNLs. De minimis waivers were granted to certain articles that exceeded the 50 percent import share CNL, but for which the aggregate value of the imports of that article was below the 2005 de minimis level of $17.5 million. Below are products receiving de minimis waivers:

HTS -- Country -- Product

0711.20.18 -- Turkey -- Olives, n/pitted, green, in saline sol., in contain. > 8 kg, drained weight

0711.30.00 -- Turkey -- Capers, provisionally preserved but unsuitable in that state for immediate consumption

0711.40.00 -- India -- Cucumbers including gherkins, provisionally preserved but unsuitable in that state for immediate consumption

0712.90.70 -- Egypt -- Dried fennel, marjoram, savory and tarragon nesi, whole, cut, sliced, broken, or in powder, but not further prepared

0713.90.60 -- India -- Dried leguminous vegetables nesi, shelled, if entered for consumption May 1 to August 31

0802.50.20 -- Turkey Pistachios, fresh or dried, in shell

0804.10.60 -- Pakistan -- Dates, fresh or dried, whole, without pits, packed in units weighing over 4.6 kg

0813.40.10 -- Thailand -- Papayas, dried

0813.40.80 -- Thailand -- Tamarinds, dried

1102.30.00 -- Thailand -- Rice flour

2001.90.45 -- India -- Mangoes, prepared or preserved by vinegar or acetic acid

2006.00.70 -- Thailand -- Fruit nesi, and nuts, except mixtures, preserved by sugar (drained, glace, or crystallized)

2008.30.10 -- Brazil -- Peel of oranges, mandarins, clementines, wilkings and similar citrus hybrids

2008.99.50 -- Thailand -- Papayas, other than pulp, otherwise prepared or preserved, nesi

2009.39.20 -- Brazil -- Lime juice, Brix value exceeding 20, fit for beverage purposes

2306.50.00 -- Thailand -- Oilcake and other solid residues, resulting from the extraction of vegetable fats and oils, of coconut or copra

Articles that exceeded one of the GSP CNLs in 2005, and that are newly excluded from GSP eligibility for a specific country, are listed below:

0306.24.20 -- Venezuela -- Crabmeat, not frozen

0904.20.20 -- Peru -- Paprika, dried or crushed or ground

0904.20.76 -- India -- Other fruits of the genus capsicum, ground

The competitive need limitations (CNLs) will not be waived, meaning that GSP eligibility will be withdrawn, from the following:

0804.50.80 -- Philippines -- Guavas, mangoes and mangosteens, dried

These changes are effective with respect to products entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after July 1, 2006.