The International Trade Commission has launched a new investigation of U.S.-Haiti trade and the impact of U.S. trade preference programs on Haiti’s economy and workers. The ITC’s findings will likely be used by lawmakers in determining whether to extend the HOPE and HELP trade preference programs past their current Sept. 30, 2025, expiration.
The ITC’s investigation will provide the following.
- an overview of Haiti’s economy since 1980, including U.S. imports from that country, highlighting key products that are currently exported or that were historically important to Haiti and are either no longer exported to the U.S. or are exported in lower quantities
- an examination of the impact of U.S. preference programs (including the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, the Generalized System of Preferences, the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act, HOPE II, the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP), and the Trade Acts of 2000 and 2002) on Haiti’s trading relationship with the U.S., Haiti’s economy, and workers, including each program’s eligibility requirements, rules of origin, and product coverage
- an overview of the competitiveness of the Haitian economy, including descriptions of trade-facilitating infrastructure, the availability and skill level of workers, and the impact of natural disasters and political events on two-way trade
- case studies on goods currently and historically exported from Haiti such as apparel, tropical fruits, and sporting goods, including baseballs, softballs, and basketballs
The ITC will hold an online public hearing in connection with this investigation on May 26. Requests to appear at the hearing should be filed no later than May 4. The ITC also welcomes written submissions for the record, which are due by June 23. The ITC expects to submit its final report to the House Ways and Means Committee by Dec. 22.
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