October 2011
28 posts
“Our small manufacturing company employs less than 20 people but is paying over $10,000 a month in duties due to the lapse in the GSP. This additional tax burden clearly makes it harder than ever to save any money so that we can expand our business. Heck, it makes it hard to generate enough money to replace our inventory of raw materials.”
—Richard Sikorski
Xena / AerChem
St. Charles, IL 60175
Xena / AerChem
St. Charles, IL 60175
“
We are a direct importer of handicraft items. We buy our product mainly from cottage industries which really help/support people overseas.
Due to the expiration of GSP it slows down our buying as we have to pay duty…… As you know we have already been hit hard by a slow economy and on top of that this GSP thing happened .
Importers Etc,Inc
North Brunswick, NJ 08902
Suhail
President
” —
“We are a struggling small business that have been in existence for 11 years. There are no local manufacturers that can help us do our production. With the increased commodity prices, if we are required to pay extra duty which is representing 20% of our operating income, two more individuals will join the unemployment lines and trade activity in the amount of $800K will cease to exist.”
—Sinem
Oxan Inc
1465 Route 23 S #174
Wayne, NJ 07470
Oxan Inc
1465 Route 23 S #174
Wayne, NJ 07470
“We are engaged in a social mission to provide jobs and income to artisans around the world. We import from over 35 countries and work with over 120 artisan groups that are struggling with poverty. The expiration of GSP not only impacts our social mission but jeopardizes our ability to grow our store network and provide new jobs in the United States. GSP is vitally important to the on-going health of our organization and our 225 U.S. employees.”
—Craig R. Schloneger, CEO
Ten Thousands Villages
Akron, PA 17501
Ten Thousands Villages
Akron, PA 17501
“
Breuning Inc.
Lawrenceville, GA
We are a small company that imports fine jewelry from Thailand for distribution to retailers in the US, Canada, Mexico and Caribbean.
Since GSP expired last year, we have been forced to downsize our staff. In order to stay solvent, our company needs for the GSP to be reinstated.
” —Eve ChilesBreuning Inc.
Lawrenceville, GA
“Our company depends on GSP to get the right product to the right client at a good price. Without it we may have to lay off some employees or even close.”
—Allan Zadik
FAZ Marketing
Houston, TX 77077
FAZ Marketing
Houston, TX 77077
“GSP expiration has cost my company more than $50,000. We import fishing equipment and baseball equipment and the higher duties we have been paying has caused us to be much less competitive than in the past and has hurt our sales.”
—Mark Hall
Manager, Commercial Fishing Division
Fitec International Inc.
Memphis, TN
Manager, Commercial Fishing Division
Fitec International Inc.
Memphis, TN
“We’ve paid significant new tariffs on imports of High Voltage Insulators from India. With the competitive nature of our business, supplying to the Electric Utility industry, we are not able to pass along these increases. As a Small Business, additional costs have a greater effect on us than most companies.”
—
Rick Stanley
Newell-PSN
Newell, West Virginia
“
JBH Intertrade
Garden City, NY
JBH Intertrade is a small company, specializing in imports of processed fruit and vegetable products. Suspension of GSP has made certain products we import non-viable and may jeopardize our business plan going forward.
We have plans to hire some additional staff over the next 2 years. Unfortunately, the areas requiring additional staff are also those directly impacted by GSP.
” —Jack Hartog, PresidentJBH Intertrade
Garden City, NY
“
We’ve been importing chromium trioxide from Kazakhstan for several years. The payment of duties because of GSP expiration has hurt our competitiveness, caused us to lose sales, and reduced our need for warehouse labor due to the lower sales volume.
Reinstatement of the GSP program will enable us to resume our company’s growth (and the resultant employment).
” —Ben Brock
Hunter Chemical LLC
Fort Washington, PA 19034
“Our company imports components for trucks that are sold in the USA as well as re-exported around the world. Not having GSP in place is making US exports less competitive and reduces our ability to recruit people & grow our company.”
—Andy Sagar
President
Michex International Inc.
Houston, TX 77068
President
Michex International Inc.
Houston, TX 77068
“We employ 3 people in Saline, Michigan and import diaphragm linear air compressors from the Philippines. There is no US manufacturer of these devices – and there never was one. The tariff has caused us to raise prices and lose some business.”
—Paul Westmaas
Hiblow USA, Inc.
Saline, MI
Hiblow USA, Inc.
Saline, MI
“The failure to renew GSP has cost our company in excess of $500,000 to date and that has come from our bottom line. Needles to say that means we no longer have a bottom line. We are counting on the renewal so we can open a new plant that we have planned. The failure to renew is costing American jobs!”
—Melvin Burkhardt
Mullican Flooring
Johnson City, Tenn
Mullican Flooring
Johnson City, Tenn
“
KOUBOO LLC
Laguna Beach, CA
GSP expiration has cost my company $1,500 this year. That may not sound like a lot, but I am starting my company and any savings help to reach break-even and grow my business.
The products I am importing from the Philippines and Thailand are hand-made and are not putting any American jobs at risk.
” —Patrice GerberKOUBOO LLC
Laguna Beach, CA
“GSP expiration has increased costs on our lighting glass from Turkey. Many of our competitors simply buy pre-made fixtures from China, but we buy components, assemble them here in Ohio, and provide 35 jobs to Ohioans. Please help us remain competitive by passing GSP today.”
—Annika Gibson
Besa Lighting, Inc.
Blacklick, Ohio
Besa Lighting, Inc.
Blacklick, Ohio
“
Keystone Leather
Williamsport, PA 17701
We manufacture footwear components from sole leather purchased in Argentina. Our customer base is comprised primarily of domestic footwear manufacturers. Our largest customers are based in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Texas, Maine, Washington and of course, here in Pennsylvania.
There is no sole leather made in the USA today, thus it has to be imported. The higher cost due to the expiration of the GSP threatens not only jobs in our factory in Williamsport, but literally coast to coast.
” —Dave Murdock, Co-OwnerKeystone Leather
Williamsport, PA 17701
“With a weak economy, a jump in raw materials costs and most of all, a very weak dollar, our company has been hit with a ‘triple Whammy.’ This along with delay in GSP renewal and put a tremendous hardship on the company’s survival. We employ 70 workers and would hate to start laying off people.”
—
Jon Bromberg, CEO
Universal Wood Moulding Inc.
Santa Clarita, CA 91350
“
Atlantis Pak USA, Inc.
Miami, FL
GSP expiration has had a huge negative impact on the strategy of our small business, and we had to cancel our plans of increasing workforce for this year.
More than that, we are still doing business on belief that GSP will be renewed and we will recuperate; but if it will be not, we will have to come up with new product strategy and sales strategy, and we don’t have our hopes high that it will be feasible at this point.
” —Yulia ZhamgotsevaAtlantis Pak USA, Inc.
Miami, FL
The House of Representatives is likely to vote on a renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) trade program in the next week or so. In the meantime, this site will allow companies impacted by expiration to tell their stories. You can add your own quote by clicking “Submit” on the right hand side of the page.
More information on GSP - along with hundreds of companies and associations calling for immediate renewal - can be found at Renew GSP Today.
