Request for Comments on Operation of the Caribbean Basin Initiative

On July 25, 2019, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative published in the Federal Register (84 FR 35920) Request for Comments on Operation of the Caribbean Basin Initiative.

The U.S. Trade Representative has to submit a report to Congress regarding the operation of the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) by December 31, 2019. The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) invites comments concerning the operation of the CBI, including the performance of each beneficiary country, to assist in preparing the report to Congress on the operation of the CBI program.

The TPSC must receive your written comments by August 30, 2019.

Together, the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), as amended by the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) (19 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) -- which created a special trade preference for apparel articles -- are commonly referred to as the Caribbean Basin Initiative, or CBI. Section 212(f)(1) of CBERA (19 U.S.C. 2702(f)(1)) requires the U.S. Trade Representative to report on the performance of each CBERA or CBTPA beneficiary country. Barbados, Belize, Curacao, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago receive benefits under both CBERA and CBTPA.