US Sets a New Limit on Duty-Free Imports of Apparel Articles Assembled in Haiti

The U.S. Department of Commerce has set a new limit on duty-free imports of apparel articles assembled in Haiti under the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership for Encouragement Act (HOPE).

According to a notification on ‘Annual Quantitative Limit on Certain Apparel under HOPE’, issued by International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, HOPE provides that the quantitative limitation will be recalculated for each subsequent 12-month period.

For the twelve-month period beginning on December 20, 2013, the quantitative limitation for qualifying apparel imported from Haiti under the value-added program will be an amount equivalent to 1.25 percent of the aggregate square meter equivalent of all apparel articles imported into the United States in the most recent 12-month period for which data are available.

Accordingly, the quantity of imports eligible for preferential treatment under the value-added program is 322,629,971 sq m equivalent for the one-year period beginning on December 20, 2013, and extending through December 19, 2014. 

HOPE provides for duty-free treatment for certain apparel articles imported directly from Haiti. Section 213A(b)(1)(B) of HOPE outlines the requirements for certain apparel articles to qualify for duty-free treatment under a "value-added" program.

In order to qualify for duty-free treatment, apparel articles must be wholly assembled, or knit-to-shape, in Haiti from any combination of fabrics, fabric components, components knit-to-shape, and yarns, as long as the sum of the cost or value of materials produced in Haiti or one or more countries, as described in HOPE, or any combination thereof, plus the direct costs of processing operations performed in Haiti or one or more countries, as described in HOPE, or any combination thereof, is not less than an applicable percentage of the declared customs value of such apparel articles.

Pursuant to Haiti Economic Lift Program Act of 2010 (HELP), the applicable percentage for the period December 20, 2013 through December 19, 2014, is 50 percent or more.