By Denise Chrispim Marin, O Estado de S. Paulo - 06/04/2005

Itamaraty was disappointed with the postponement to September of the United States decision on the application of sanctions against Brazilian products, as a reprisal for “inadequate and ineffective” copyright protection in the country. Diplomats expected the investigation to end and, with this, the end of the process of revising the list of Brazilian items benefiting from import tariff reductions, within the American General System of Preferences (SGP). In a note, Itamaraty reiterated that Brazil obtained “concrete results” in the defense of copyright and that it will continue to fight piracy.

“Due to the breadth and depth of information offered to the United States on combating copyright piracy in the country, the government considers that the closure of the SGP review process granted to Brazil would have been the appropriate measure at this time, which would also the positive level of dialogue and cooperation between the two countries ”, defended the Foreign Ministry.

Currently, about 14% of Brazilian goods exported to the USA are favored by the SGP - maintained as a Washington concession to developing countries, with lower import rates for a set of products. As it is a unilateral benefit, its withdrawal would hardly be successfully questioned in the World Trade Organization (WTO).