ITC TO STUDY EFFECTS OF NEW TRADE BENEFITS FOR HAITI FOR TEXTILE AND APPAREL TRADE

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC or Commission) has instituted an investigation to study the effects of new trade benefits accorded to textile and apparel imports from Haiti under recently enacted legislation.

The investigation, Textiles and Apparel: Effects of Special Rules for Haiti on Trade Markets and Industries, is required by the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act (HHOPE). HHOPE was enacted as part of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, which was signed into law in December 2006.

The HHOPE legislation grants U.S. duty-free treatment to imports of qualifying textile and apparel from Haiti if the President determines that Haiti meets certain requirements set out in the statute. The new law also requires the ITC to report to the Congress on the effects of the law on the trade markets and industries involving textile and apparel in Haiti, the United States, beneficiary countries of the U.S.-Caribbean Basin Trade Preference Act, and countries with which the United States has free trade agreements.

The ITC will submit its report to the Congress by June 20, 2008.

The ITC will hold a public hearing in connection with the investigation at 9:30 a.m. on November 8, 2007. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be filed no later than 5:15 p.m. on October 23, 2007, with the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436.

The ITC also welcomes written submissions for the record. Written submissions (original and 14 copies) should be addressed to the Secretary to the Commission at the above address and should be submitted at the earliest practical date but no later than 5:15 p.m. on February 7, 2008. All written submissions, except for confidential business information, will be available for public inspection.

Further information on the scope of this investigation and appropriate submissions is available in the ITC’s notice of investigation, dated February 6, 2007, which may be obtained from the ITC Internet site (www.usitc.gov) or by contacting the Office of the Secretary at 202-205-2000.