The Haitian Economy and the HOPE Act (CRS RL34687, 1 October 2008)
Summary: The Congressional Research Service report on the Haitian economy and the HOPE Act's trade preferences, in its edition of 1 October 2008 (order code RL34687). It examines the structure of the garment sector, the expected effect of the preferences on employment, and the constraints that limit their use. The corpus also holds the longer 2010 edition: CRS reports are revised, and the two editions do not say the same thing about the same period.
Key Findings
- HOPE I was enacted in December 2006 to support Haiti's apparel industry through duty-free treatment for selected imports using third-country inputs.
- Early assessments of HOPE I were disappointing, leading the 110th Congress to amend it through HOPE II in 2008.
- HOPE II extended preferences for 10 years, expanded duty-free coverage, especially for knit articles, and simplified rules of origin.
- HOPE II required Haiti to create an independent Labor Ombudsman's Office and establish the TAICNAR program within 16 months of enactment.
- The report stresses that tariff preferences were tied to firm-level labor performance, with ILO involvement and mandated congressional oversight.
- It warns that trade preferences may be overwhelmed unless Haiti addresses political volatility, economic inequality and social dissatisfaction.
Full Description
The Congressional Research Service report on the Haitian economy and the HOPE Act's trade preferences, in its edition of 1 October 2008 (order code RL34687). It examines the structure of the garment sector, the expected effect of the preferences on employment, and the constraints that limit their use. The corpus also holds the longer 2010 edition: CRS reports are revised, and the two editions do not say the same thing about the same period.
How to cite
Congressional Research Service (CRS), The Haitian Economy and the HOPE Act (CRS RL34687, 1 October 2008), https://www.haiti.org/