WT/L/1063  
 
19 June 2019  
(19-4194) Page: 1/6 
General Council  
23-24 July 2019  Original: English  
 
UNITED STATES – CARI BBEAN BASIN ECONOMIC  RECOVERY ACT  
REPORT OF THE GOVERN MENT OF THE UNITED S TATES FOR THE YEAR 2 018 
UNDER THE DECISION O F 5 MAY 20151 
The following communication, dated  18 June 2019 , is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of the United States.  
 
_______________  
 
 
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  On 5 May 2015, the United States was granted a renewal of the waiver (WT/L/950) of its 
obligations under paragraph 1 of Article  I and paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article XIII of the GATT 1994 
to the extent ne cessary to permit the United States Government to provide duty free treatment to 
eligible products of the Caribbean Basin countries and territories as authorized by the provisions of 
Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) without being required to e xtend the same duty -
free treatment to like products of any other Member. This waiver expires 31 December 2019.  
1.2.  Under the terms of this waiver, the United States is required to submit to the General Council 
an annual report on the implementation of the trad e-related provisions of the CBERA with a view to 
facilitating the annual review provided for in paragraph 4 of Article IX of the WTO Agreement. This 
report covers calendar year 2018.  
2  DUTY FREE TREATMENT UNDER THE CBERA  
2.1.  Section 211 of the CBERA allows the P resident of the United States to eliminate duties on all 
products, with certain exceptions2, from those Caribbean countries and territories that he designates 
as beneficiaries. In 2018, 17  countries and territories received CBERA benefits. These countries and 
territories were: Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, 
Curaçao, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St.  Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago . 
2.2.  On 5 August 2004, the United States signed the Dominican Republic -Central America -United 
States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA -DR) with five Central American countries (Costa Rica, 
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua) and the Dominican Republic.  The CAFTA -DR 
entered into force for El Salvador on 1 March 2006; for Honduras on 1 April 2006; for Nicaragua on 
1 April 2006; for Guatemala on 1 July 2006; for the Dominican Republic on 1 March 2007; and for 
Costa Rica on 1 January 2009. When the CAFTA -DR entered into force for each of these countries, 
                                                
1 WT/L/950.  
2 Prior to enactment of the United States -Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) in 2000, the 
products excluded from duty free treatment were: textile and apparel articles which are subject to textile 
agreements; certain footwear which was not eligib le for duty free entry under the U.S. Generalized System of 
Preferences in 1983; prepared tuna in airtight containers; petroleum and petroleum products; watches and watch 
parts if such products contain any material from countries not accorded MFN treatment ; and certain leather 
products (handbags, luggage, flat goods, work gloves, and leather wearing apparel). Many of these excluded 
products became  eligible for preferential treatment under CBTPA, Title II of the Trade and Development Act of 
2000, which amended the CBERA. The Trade Act of 2002, the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through 
Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act of 2006, and the HOPE II Act of 2008 further amended the CBERA.  WT/L/1063  
 
- 2 - 
 
  the country ceased to be designated as a CBERA and CBTPA beneficiary. On 31 October 2012, the 
United States -Panama Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) entered into force and Panama ceased to 
be designated as a C BERA and CBTPA beneficiary.  
2.3.  The Trade Act of 2002 amended the CBERA to grant additional benefits to Caribbean Basin 
apparel products.  Specifically, these changes permitted the use of US and regional knit -to-shape 
components in eligible apparel articles. In  addition, the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through 
Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act of 2006 amended the CBERA program by establishing special 
new rules of origin that make Haiti eligible for new trade benefits for apparel imports and that 
enhance s ourcing flexibility for apparel producers in Haiti. The HOPE II Act of 2008 modified the 
existing trade preference programs under HOPE and added other new programs that allow for duty -
free treatment for qualifying Haitian -produced apparel. In 2010, the Hai ti Economic Lift Program 
(HELP) Act extended the CBTPA and the HOPE Acts through 30  September  2020.  The HELP Act also 
provided duty -free treatment for additional textile and apparel products from Haiti. Section 301 of 
the Trade Preferences Extension Act of  2015 extended preferences for certain products of Haiti 
through  30 September 2025.  
3  CBERA PERFORMANCE  
3.1.  Combined with economic reform and other actions taken by beneficiary countries to liberalize 
their trade regimes, the trade benefits of CBI have both help ed beneficiary countries and dependent 
territories in the region diversify their exports and have contributed to their economic growth.  
3.2.  In 2018, US imports under CBERA preferences increased 9.1 per cent from the previous year, 
primarily due to an increase in methanol and certain clothing imports. In 2017, US imports under 
CBERA were $1.5 billion. In 2018, US imports under CBERA were $1.7 billion.  The value of US 
imports of textile and apparel3 under CBERA was $861.0  million in 2017, compared to $943.9 milli on 
in 2018.  
3.3.  Of the $1.7 billion in imports under CBERA in 2018, energy -related products4 accounted for 
31 per cent, textiles and apparel (almost all apparel) for 56 per cent, and agricultural products and 
processed food for 7.9 per cent.  
3.4.  The leading benefi ciary countries for imports entering under CBERA preferences in 2018 were 
Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago. The United States imported $957 million under CBERA preferences 
from Haiti in 2018. Imports under CBERA preferences from Haiti were dominated by textil es and 
apparel products.  Trinidad and Tobago was the second leading supplier of US imports under CBERA 
in 2018.  US imports from Trinidad and Tobago under CBERA totalled $550 million in 2018, mostly 
acyclic alcohols and petroleum products.  
3.5.  Statistical annex es are provided to present a detailed description of the trade aspects of the 
CBERA program for the most recent period. Detailed information for previous years has been 
provided in previous reports to the GATT Council or WTO General Council.  
______________ _ 
 
 
Table 1 provides summary information on US imports for consumption under CBERA provisions 
during the period 2010 through 2018.  
 
Table 2  provides information on leading US imports for consumption under CBERA provisions, by 
product, during the period 2016 through 2018.  
 
Table 3  provides information on US trade with CBERA countries during the period 2010 through 
2018.  
 
_______________  
 
                                                
3 The term "textiles and apparel" used herein encompasses HTS chapter s 50-63 (based on that used in 
the WTO).  
4 The term "energy -related products" used herein encompasses HTS chapters 27 and 29.   
  WT/L/1063  
 
- 3 - TABLE 1  
US IMPORTS FOR CONSUMP TION UNDER CBERA PRO VISIONS, BY SOURCES,  2010-20185 
Source  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  2017  2018  
  Value (1,000 dollars)  
Haiti 364,058  474,602  436,783  362,266  858,785  931,010  857,223  879,004  957,401  
Trinidad & Tobago  2,207,842  2,589,360  2,171,197  1,640,709  1,234,474  830,291  378,983  488,160  550,251  
Jamaica  83,910  179,186  206,201  90,231  71,779  81,583  74,847  72,676  83,875  
Bahamas  98,975  123,854  130,539  141,654  158,191  88,389  68,403  79,826  66,181  
Belize  61,744  146,045  131,943  104,777  60,582  36,881  17,136  12,398  10,676  
Barbados  7,233  4,493  3,813  2,081  5,295  22,570  2,254  3,558  7,453  
St. Kitts & Nevis  20,466  27,273  22,350  18,933  18,341  10,481  7,210  5,122  5,095  
Grenada  150 317 341 295 443 1,728  1,809  2,405  2,912  
Guyana  10,632  11,172  5,315  4,532  11,857  34,918  1,551  707 880 
St. Lucia 9,199  1,889  1,836  3,210  1,162  1,301  627 342 373 
Curaçao 0 0 0 0 5,365  3 85 124 119 
Dominica  53 149 117 170 66 77 22 48 36 
British Virgin Islands  86 136 451 103 50 9 9 0 22 
St. Vincent & the Grenadines  124 88 138 141 182 16 45 102 22 
Antigua & Barbuda  21 23 30 24 19 82 37 161 19 
Aruba  566 249 27 18 75 93 15 36 16 
Panama  28,911  54,718  26,308  0 0 0 0 0 0 
Montserrat  0 0 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Netherlands Ant illes 1,193  344 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Total 2,895,164  3,613,899  3,137,413  2,369,144  2,426,666  2,039,430  1,410,031  1,544,358  1,685,330  
Note:  Due to rounding, figures may not add to totals given. US imports from Haiti prior to 2014 do not reflect imports under HOPE or HELP.  
Source:  Compiled from official statistics of the US Department of Commerce.   
                                                
5 CAFTA -DR entered into force for the following countries (date of entry into force), at which time they ceased to be CBERA benefi ciaries: El Salvador (1 March  2006), Honduras 
and Nicaragua (1 April 2006), Guatemala (1 July 2006), the Dominican Republic (1 March 2007), and Costa Rica (1 January 2009) . TPA entered into force as of 31 October 2012, at 
which time Panama ceased to be a C BERA beneficiary.   
  WT/L/1063  
 
- 4 - TABLE 1 – CONTINUED  
US IMPORTS FOR CONSUMP TION UNDER CBERA PRO VISIONS, BY SOURCES,  2010-2018 
Source  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  2017  2018  
  Per cent of total   
Haiti 12.57  13.13  13.92  15.29  20.54  28.11  36.50  30.73  56.81  
Trinidad & Tobago  76.26  71.65  69.20  69.25  62.56  53.85  43.52  50.80  32.65  
Jamaica  2.90 4.96 6.57 3.81 3.64 5.29 8.59 7.56 4.98 
Bahamas  3.42 3.43 4.16 5.98 8.02 5.73 7.85 8.31 3.93 
Belize  2.13 4.04 4.21 4.42 3.07 2.39 1.97 1.29 0.63 
Barbados  0.25 0.12 0.12 0.09 0.27 1.46 0.26 0.37 0.44 
St. Kitts & Nevis  0.71 0.75 0.71 0.80 0.93 0.68 0.83 0.53 0.30 
Grenada  0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.11 0.21 0.25 0.17 
Guyana  0.37 0.31 0.17 0.19 0.60 2.26 0.18 0.07 0.05 
St. Lucia 0.32 0.05 0.06 0.14 0.06 0.08 0.07 0.04 0.02 
Curaçao 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.27 (a) 0.01 0.01 0.01 
Dominica  (a) (a) (a) 0.01 (a) (a) (a) 0.01 (a) 
British Virgin Islands  (a) (a) 0.01 (a) (a) (a) (a) 0.00 (a) 
St. Vincent & the Grenadines  (a) (a) (a) 0.01 0.01 (a) 0.01 0.01 (a) 
Antigua Barbuda  (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) 0.01 (a) 0.02 (a) 
Aruba  0.02 0.01 (a) (a) (a) 0.01 (a) (a) (a) 
Montserrat  0.00 0.00 (a) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Netherlands Ant illes 0.04 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Panama  1.00 1.51 0.84 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Total 100.00  100.00  100.00  100.00  100.00  100.00  100.00  100.00  100.00  
(a)  Less than 0.005 per cent.  
Source:  Compiled from official statistics of the US Department of Commerce.  
 WT/L/1063  
 
- 5 - 
 
  TABLE 2  
LEADING US IMPORTS FOR CONSUMP TION UNDER CBERA PRO VISIONS, 2016 -2018 
HTS 
Number  Description  2016  2017  2018  Change 
2017 – 
2018   
  Value (millions of dollars)  Per cent  
2905.11.20  Methanol (Methyl alcohol), other than imported only 
for use in producing synthetic natural gas (SNG) or 
for direct use as fuel  253.2  378.3  447.7  18.4 
6109.10.00  T-shirts, singlets, tank tops and similar garments, 
knitted or crocheted, of cotton  302.0  258.6  284.5  10.0 
6110.30.30  Sweaters, pullovers and similar articles, knitted or 
crocheted, of manmade fibers, nesoi  80.8 125.6  141.7  12.8 
6110.20.20  Sweaters, pullovers and similar articles, knitted or 
crocheted, of cotton, nesoi  128.3  110.4  112.0  1.4 
6109.90.10  T-shirts, singlets, tank tops and similar garments, 
knitted or crocheted, of man -made fibers  54.3 79.6 106.2  33.3 
3903.11.00  Polystyrene, expandable, in primary forms  66.6 78.1 64.4 -17.6 
6104.62.20  Women's or girls' trousers, breeches and shorts, 
knitted or crocheted, of cotton  40.8 39.8 59.9 50.6 
6203.43.90  Men's/boys' trousers, breeches, shorts, not k/c, 
synth fibers, con under 15% wt down etc, cont und 
36% wt wool, n/water resist, not rec perf outwear  11.4 33.8 48.4 43.0 
2709.00.20  Petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals, 
crude, testing 25 degrees A.P.I. or more  86.2 53.6 34.0 -36.6 
6205.30.20  Men's or boys' shirts,  not knitted or crocheted, of 
manmade fibers, nesoi  22.4 20.6 31.3 51.9 
6203.42.45  Men's/boys' trousers &shorts, not bibs, not 
knit/crochet, cotton, not containing 15% or more by 
weight of down, etc, o/than rec perf outwear  21.3 56.3 26.9 -52.2 
0714.30.10  Fresh or chilled yams (Dioscorea spp.), whether or 
not sliced or in the form of pellets  21.1 23.3 24.4 4.8 
2710.19.06  Distillate and residual fuel oil (including blends) 
derived from petroleum or oils from bituminous 
minerals, testing < 25 degrees A.P.I.  0.2 11.8 21.4 81.9 
6104.63.20  Women's or girls' trousers, breeches and shorts, 
knitted or crocheted, of synthetic fibers, nesoi  24.8 20.9 19.6 -6.2 
2933.61.00  Melamine  12.3 16.5 19.5 18.1 
2106.90.98  Other food preps nesoi, incl preps for the 
manufacture of beverages, non -dairy coffee 
whiteners, herbal teas and flavored honey  0.0 14.9 18.4 23.7 
6103.43.15  Men's or boys' trousers, breeches and shorts, 
knitted or crocheted, of synthetic fibers, nesoi  14.0 14.1 17.6 24.9 
6204.63.90  Women's or girls' trousers, breeches and shorts, not 
knitted or crocheted, of synthetic fibers, nesoi, 
o/than rec perf outwear  4.3 10.8 11.5 5.7 
6108.22.90  Women's or girls' briefs and panties (other than 
disposable), of man -made fibers, knitted or 
crocheted  12.6 25.7 11.2 -56.6 
2103.90.90  Sauces and preparations therefor, neosi  8.2 8.7 9.4 8.9 
 
Total of above  1,164.8  1,381.5  1,510.0  9.3 
 
All other  245.2  162.9  175.3  7.7 
  Total 1,410.0  1,544.4  1,685.3  9.1 
Note:  Due to rounding, figures may not add to totals given. The abbreviations "nesoi" and "nesi" stand for 
"not elsewhere specified or otherwise included. " NV indicates the tariff line was not valid in that year. 
NA indicates a calculation was not applicable.  
Source:  Compiled from official statistics of the US Department of Commerce.  
 
  WT/L/1063  
 
- 6 - 
 
   
TABLE 3  
US TRADE WITH CBERA BE NEFICIARY COUNTRIES,  2010-20186 
Year US Exports7 Share of US 
exports to 
the world  US Imports8 Share of US 
imports to 
the world  US trade 
balance  
 
Millions dollars  Per cent  Millions dollars  Per cent  Millions dollars  
2010 18,460.0  1.6 10,082.0  0.5 8,378.1  
2011 19,798.2  1.5 15,268.6  0.7 4,529.7  
2012 20,449.0  1.5 11,939.4  0.5 8,509.6  
2013 11,880.2  0.9 8,925.3  0.4 2,955.0  
2014 12,742.8  0.9 8,484.1  0.4 4,258.7  
2015 11,635.0  0.9 7,051.7  0.3 4,583.3  
2016 10,475.6  0.9 5,319.7  0.2 5,156.0  
2017 12,180.9  0.9 5,798.0  0.2 6,382.9  
2018 14,022.3  1.0 6,070.9  0.2 7,953.1  
Note:  Due to rounding, figures may not add to totals given.  
Source :  Compiled from official statistics of the US Department of Commerce.  
 
__________  
                                                
6 Includes imports and exports for countries only while they were CBERA beneficiaries. See CBERA Table  1 
for program me coverage.  
7 Domestic exports, f.a.s. basis.  
8 Imports for consumption, customs value.