YEREVAN. - The U.S. Congress might renew the Generalized System of Preferences preferential trade regime for Armenian goods, John Heffern, the outgoing Ambassador of the United States to Armenia, told Armenia News – NEWS.am.

The authority to choose countries which qualify for GSP rests with the Congress, he added. A number of Armenian goods have been eligible for years to a tax-free entry into the United States under the Generalized System of Preferences, a concessional trade regime granted by the U.S. Government for developing countries around the world.

The exact eligibility criteria are not yet known to the US Embassy in Yerevan, as a lot of factors will count.

“However, I think Armenia will still qualify. Hopefully in the near term the legislation will be reauthorized and we’ll know better which countries are eligible for what,” Amb. Heffern added.

Asked whether the exporters to the States may receive a retroactive refund of customs duties, Heffern told this will hopefully be resolved as well.

“I cannot speak for the Congress, of course, but let’s hope that [Armenian] businesses who have exported to the United States in the meantime will get some retroactive reimbursement if they go through the right filing process for it,” he concluded.

The bulk of Armenian exports to the United States (80-90% in money terms), consists of aluminum foil, while another 3% are polished diamonds.