Possible shift of jobs from V.I. averted. (Virgin Islands)

Possible shift of jobs from V.I. averted

WASHINGTON - The possible transfer of assembly jobs from the Virgin Islands and U.S. mainland to the Philippines and Thailand was averted by Timex Corp., according to V.I. Delegate Ron De Lugo.

Timex announced Aug. 14 that it withdrew its petition for duty-free treatment for combination or "combo" watches under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) when the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) determined that the request violated a three-year filing restriction, De Lugo said in a press release.

De Lugo said that his staff worked with the Washington attorney for V.I. Gov. Alexander Farrelly who …