{ "id": "RL34687", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL34687", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 363977, "date": "2010-06-24", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T01:36:09.107462", "title": "The Haitian Economy and the HOPE Act", "summary": "In December 2006, the 109th Congress passed the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2006 (HOPE I), which included special trade rules that give preferential access to U.S. imports of Haitian apparel. These rules were intended to promote investment in the apparel industry as one element of a broader economic growth and development plan. HOPE I allowed for the duty-free treatment of select apparel imports from Haiti made from less expensive third-country inputs (e.g., non-regional yarns, fabrics, and components), provided Haiti met rules of origin and eligibility criteria that required making progress on worker rights, poverty reduction, and anti-corruption measures. Early assessments of the effectiveness of HOPE I, however, were disappointing. The 110th Congress responded by amending HOPE I with the Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2008 (HOPE II). HOPE II extended the preferences for 10 years, expanded coverage of duty-free treatment to more apparel products, particularly knit articles, and simplified the rules, making them easier to use. Early evidence suggests that apparel production and exports are responding to these changes.\nHOPE II also amended the eligibility requirements by requiring Haiti to create a new independent Labor Ombudsman\u2019s Office and establish the Technical Assistance Improvement and Compliance Needs Assessment and Remediation (TAICNAR) Program. The TAICNAR program provides for the United Nations International Labor Organization (ILO) to operate a firm-level inspection and monitoring program to help Haitian apparel factories comply with meeting core labor standards, Haitian labor laws, and occupational health and safety rules. It would apply to those firms that agree to register for the program as a prerequisite for utilizing the tariff preferences. The TAICNAR program is also designed to help Haiti develop its own capacity to monitor compliance of apparel producers in meeting core labor standards.\nThe earthquake that rocked Haiti on January 12, 2010 caused considerable damage to the apparel sector, although much has been done to return capacity to pre-earthquake levels. Rebuilding costs for the industry are estimated at $38 million to refurbish damaged buildings, replace machinery, and train new employees. The U.S. Congress responded to the apparel industry\u2019s needs by amending the HOPE Act with the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-171), which improves U.S. market access for Haitian apparel exports. Two important considerations guided congressional action in addition to a broad-based concern over Haiti\u2019s economic and social problems. First, legislation appeared to focus on enhancing those preference rules that have so far shown the most promise for promoting investment, production, and apparel exports. Second, Congress factored in the possibility of negative effects on U.S. producers and workers, and in so doing sought a policy coherence that attempts to balance domestic and foreign policy considerations.\nThe HELP Act made a number of major changes to the trade preferences including extending the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) and the HOPE Act through September 30, 2020; allowing the value-added rule to remain at 50% through 2015; increasing the woven tariff preference level (TPL) to 200 million square meter equivalents (SMEs), with many exclusions to accommodate U.S. industry; expanding the knit TPL similarly; reducing the 3-for-1 earned import credit to 2-for-1; and expanding the list of products eligible for duty-free treatment under special assembly rules. The HELP Act requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to verify that apparel articles imported under the TPLs are not transshipped illegally into the United States, and to develop a plan to evaluate and improve Haiti\u2019s customs capabilities.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL34687", "sha1": "01b6b64c9e6574aaeb42f650848deddc882da0c7", "filename": "files/20100624_RL34687_01b6b64c9e6574aaeb42f650848deddc882da0c7.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL34687", "sha1": "157c4fe8fb46c9a2280c20ec93dd26e3399dea39", "filename": "files/20100624_RL34687_157c4fe8fb46c9a2280c20ec93dd26e3399dea39.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc821585/", "id": "RL34687_2010Jun02", "date": "2010-06-02", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "The Haitian Economy and the HOPE Act", "summary": "In December 2006, the 109th Congress passed the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2006 (HOPE I) to assist Haiti with expanding its apparel trade as a way to help stimulate economic growth and employment. This report analyzes the evolution of the HOPE Act as it relates to U.S. trade policy, the Haitian economy, and post-earthquake reconstruction efforts.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20100602_RL34687_820980d3a88e96999723bcc67fa8f095cf7c6ccd.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20100602_RL34687_820980d3a88e96999723bcc67fa8f095cf7c6ccd.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Haiti", "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Haiti" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "American economic assistance -- Haiti", "name": "American economic assistance -- Haiti" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc503413/", "id": "RL34687_2010Mar16", "date": "2010-03-16", "retrieved": "2015-04-30T17:37:21", "title": "The Haitian Economy and the HOPE Act", "summary": "This report discusses the HOPE Act as it relates to U.S. trade policy, the Haitian economy, and post-earthquake reconstruction efforts.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20100316_RL34687_aecaa2215288b162fdbef4bdfc3829e979cd2f59.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20100316_RL34687_aecaa2215288b162fdbef4bdfc3829e979cd2f59.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Emergency management", "name": "Emergency management" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "International relief", "name": "International relief" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "International economic relations", "name": "International economic relations" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Haiti", "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Haiti" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc809149/", "id": "RL34687_2009Sep11", "date": "2009-09-11", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "The Haitian Economy and the HOPE Act", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20090911_RL34687_35bf2f7fda83e1d4e56473720e60fe8b11589f4c.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20090911_RL34687_35bf2f7fda83e1d4e56473720e60fe8b11589f4c.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc795409/", "id": "RL34687_2009Jan16", "date": "2009-01-16", "retrieved": "2016-01-13T14:26:20", "title": "The Haitian Economy and the HOPE Act", "summary": "This report discusses the HOPE Act as it relates to the Haitian economy and U.S. trade policy. In providing preferential access to Haitian apparel imports, the HOPE Act, as amended, gives Haitian firms a competitive (price) advantage over other foreign producers who must pay U.S. duties on apparel exports made from yarns and fabrics supplied by non-regional (e.g., Asian) producers.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20090116_RL34687_fcfd3b0b96f135f7d5219efdaadd090f5ba00487.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20090116_RL34687_fcfd3b0b96f135f7d5219efdaadd090f5ba00487.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government -- Haiti", "name": "Politics and government -- Haiti" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade", "name": "Trade" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Labor", "name": "Labor" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Textile industry", "name": "Textile industry" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc795842/", "id": "RL34687_2008Oct01", "date": "2008-10-01", "retrieved": "2016-01-13T14:26:20", "title": "The Haitian Economy and the HOPE Act", "summary": "This report discusses the HOPE Act as it relates to the Haitian economy and U.S. trade policy. In providing preferential access to Haitian apparel imports, the HOPE Act, as amended, gives Haitian firms a competitive (price) advantage over other foreign producers who must pay U.S. duties on apparel exports made from yarns and fabrics supplied by non-regional (e.g., Asian) producers.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20081001_RL34687_14c19ee1ac7ad0ff367580e91ced07302adc1395.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20081001_RL34687_14c19ee1ac7ad0ff367580e91ced07302adc1395.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government -- Haiti", "name": "Politics and government -- Haiti" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade", "name": "Trade" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Labor", "name": "Labor" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Textile industry", "name": "Textile industry" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Foreign Affairs" ] }