Limitation of Duty-Free Imports of Apparel Articles Assembled in Haiti Under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), as Amended by the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership Encouragement Act (HOPE)

On December 18, 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce published in the Federal Register (88 FR 87406) the 12-Month Cap on Duty-Free Benefits for the one-year period beginning on December 20, 2022, of 412,506,163 square meters equivalent.

SUMMARY: CBERA, as amended, provides duty-free treatment for certain apparel articles imported directly from Haiti. One of the preferences is known as the ``value-added'' provision, which requires that apparel meet a minimum threshold percentage of value added in Haiti, the United States, and/or certain beneficiary countries. The provision is subject to a quantitativ elimitation, which is calculated as a percentage of total apparel imports into the United States for each 12-month period. For the period from December 20, 2023 through December 19, 2024, the quantity of imports eligible for preferential treatment under the value-added provision is 313,655,640 square meters equivalent. ecember 20, 2022 through December 19, 2023, the quantity of imports eligible for preferential treatment under the value-added provision is 412,506,163 square meters equivalent.

DATES: The new limitations become applicable December 20, 2023.