Importers Urge Immediate House Action on AGOA Renewal
Apparel and footwear importers urged House lawmakers to immediately take up legislation to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act, following the Senate passage of AGOA renewal on May 14. The Senate decisively passed the legislation as part of a preference package that includes renewals for the Generalized System of Preferences and two Haiti tariff preference level programs (see 1505140029). “AGOA must be renewed as soon as possible. Because sourcing decisions are made many months in advance, any delay in passage will discourage continued sourcing and new investment, and will result in the loss of trade and jobs in both Africa and the U.S.,” said the letter (here). “These sourcing decisions are actually happening now as Congress is set to vote on the extension.”
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The American Footwear and Apparel Association, the National Retail Federation and the Outdoor Industry Association, among others, released the May 18 letter. AGOA renewal in both the House and Senate will extend the preference program through 2025. The Senate Finance Committee, however, added tariff changes for performance outwear, as well as the GSP Update Act and the Affordable Footwear Act (see 1504230001). Those provisions aren’t expected to be controversial in the House, said industry lobbyists.