Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Textile Issues in USTR NAFTA Negotiating Objectives

Textile Issues in USTR NAFTA Negotiating Objectives

On November 17, 2017 United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer released an updated summary of the negotiating objectives for the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The document contains many statements of U.S. negotiating positions of interest to all American business, including textiles and apparel, but among the points laid out are three that standout of as of particular significance to U.S. textile manufacturers:

  1. "Maintain existing duty-free access to NAFTA country markets for U.S. textile and apparel products and seek to improve competitive opportunities for exports of U.S. textile and apparel products while taking into account U.S. import sensitivities."
  2. "Establish origin procedures that streamline the certification and verification of rules of origin and that promote strong enforcement, including with respect to textiles."
  3. Keep in place domestic preferential purchasing programs such as Department of Defense procurement." Among the domestic preference requirements in Defense procurement is the Berry Amendment, which requires all DoD acquisitions of textiles and clothing to be of U.S. origin, from fiber to finished product.

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