Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Demetrios Marantis will visit the United Aryan Ltd. (UAL) factory in Nairobi, Kenya on today, October 22, 2012. The visit will highlight the recent passage by the U.S. Government of a bill that extends the third country fabric provision under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
The third country fabric provision of AGOA allows AGOA-eligible African countries to use imported fabric from anywhere in the world for their U.S. destined apparel exports without losing their duty free AGOA benefits. The third country fabric provision, which would have lapsed in September 2012, has been extended until September 30, 2015.
UAL, incorporated in 2002, relies to a large extent on imported third country fabric and exports virtually 100% of its products to the United States under AGOA. The company has been certified by a number of large U.S. retail chains and has business relationships with companies such as Levi Strauss & Co., Gloria Vanderbilt, JC Penney, Kohl's, Wal-Mart , Target, Williamson Dickies & Co., and Haggar Clothing Co., to name a few.
UAL directly employs approximately 4,500 people and manufactures cotton and polyester apparel, woven bottoms, denims, work wear, and medical scrubs. Its vision is to build a clothing manufacturing group in Africa that will employ the skilled population in Kenya and East Africa and, by taking advantage of AGOA, to trigger industrial growth in this part of the world. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) assistance to UAL through its East Africa Trade Hub dates back to 2005 and includes trade expos, buyers missions, matchmaking, and technical assistance.
Source:
http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/apparel-news/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=117161
