On December 15, 2014, the International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce, published in the Federal Register a notification of annual quantitative limit on certain apparel under the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership for Encouragement Act (HOPE).
HOPE provides for duty-free treatment for certain apparel articles imported directly from Haiti. One of the preferences under HOPE is known as the “value-added” program, which requires that apparel meet a minimum threshold percentage of value added in Haiti, the United States, and/or certain beneficiary countries. The program is subject to a quantitative limitation, which is calculated as a percentage of total apparel imports into the United States for each 12-month annual period. For the annual period from December 20, 2014 through December 19, 2015, the quantity of imports eligible for preferential treatment under the value-added program is 332,915,916 square meters equivalent. |