WASHINGTON, DC -- A bill with the potential to create tens of thousands of new jobs in the Haitian textile industry, has passed the U.S. House by a vote of 212 to 184.
Under the proposed Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act, the country would be allowed to export more garments to the United States.
Florida Congressman Kendrick Meek, who has been a major advocate for Haitian rights, lauded the measure, stating, “The HOPE bill has the potential to revive this sector of the Haitian economy by allowing apparel assembled in Haiti using third-country fabrics duty-free access to the United States market.”
Meek had introduced The Haiti Economy Recovery Opportunity (HERO) bill, H.R. 4211, in the House in the 109th Congressbut the bill never made it to the floor.
The HOPE bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. But it is not without critics. The American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition and the National Council of Textile Organizations called the concessions a "job-destroying lame-duck foreign trade package" while Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., threatened to block passage of the trade bill, saying it could endanger U.S. textile jobs."
Stilla study commissioned by the U.S. Agency for International Development found that the HOPE Act would have no adverse impact on manufacturers in the United States. In fact, Haiti is an important importer of American products ranging from rice and chickens to automobiles and computers. For every dollar sent to Haiti, one dollar and thirty-four cents comes back.
