Congress passes new Haiti trade bill

Washington, DC— International humanitarian organization Oxfam America praised both the House of Representatives and the Senate for passing the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Act.

The bill allows Haiti to increase its apparel exports to the United States duty free and extends existing US trade preference programs with Haiti for 10 years.

“Trade can be an important part of Haiti’s recovery, and the HELP Act will be instrumental in making this a reality,” said Stephanie Burgos, Senior Policy Advisor for Oxfam America. “The United States is Haiti’s primary market for apparel exports, and this bill will help generate much-needed jobs for Haitians working to rebuild their lives.”

Less than four months after the greatest disaster Haiti has ever seen, Haitians are ready to start working for the reconstruction of their country. An in-depth Oxfam survey of more than 1,700 Haitians last month shows that the number one priority in the reconstruction effort for Haitians are jobs, followed by schools, shelter, and a strong agricultural sector

“Haitians aren’t looking for a hand-out, they want a leg up,” said Burgos. “With income from jobs in the apparel industry and elsewhere, they can feed and care for their families, send their children to school, and build lasting shelter.”

Before the earthquake, the garment industry employed about 25,000 people – nearly 10 percent of formal sector employment and accounted for nearly 80 percent of export earnings. Now, the garment sector could be a source of economic growth and more jobs. 

"Companies are ready to invest in Haiti; they need incentives to invest in Haiti to expand exports, and that requires dropping the barriers we have to Haitian apparel products,” said Burgos. “The HELP Act provides these incentives by significantly increasing the amount of Haitian apparel products that can be imported to the US duty free.”

“In times of such partisanship in Washington, it’s heartening to see both parties in the House and Senate come together to help our hemisphere’s poorest country," said Burgos. “By passing this bill, Congress can help Haiti rebuild through trade and not just aid.”