WT/L/928  
 
11 July 2014  
(14-4000)  Page: 1/7  
General Council 
24-25 July 2014  Original: English  
 
 UNITED STATES – CARIBBEAN BASIN ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT 
REPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE YEAR 2013 
UNDER THE DECISION OF 27 MAY 20091 
The following communication, dated 10 July 2014, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the United States. 
 
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1  INTRODUCTION 
1.1.  On 27 May 2009, the United States was gran ted a renewal of the waiver (WT/L/753) of its 
obligations under paragraph 1 of Article I and paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article XIII of the GATT 1994 
to the extent necessary to permit the United Stat es 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) wi thout being required to extend the same duty-
free treatment to like products of any other Member. This waiver expires 31 December 2014. 
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 trade-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 2013. 
2  DUTY FREE TREATMENT UNDER THE CBERA 2.1.  Section 211 of the CBERA allows the President of the United States to eliminate duties on all 
products, with certain exceptions
2, from those Caribbean countries and territories that he 
designates as beneficiaries. In 2013, 16 countries and territories received CBERA benefits. These countries and territories were: Antigua and Barb uda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, 
British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, 
St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.   
2.2.  In 2012, two successor states of the former Netherlands Antilles, Curaçao and Sint Maarten 
requested benefits under the CBERA, as did The Turks and Caicos Islands and Suriname. Also in 
2012, six countries
3 and one dependency, Montserrat, requested expanded benefits available 
under the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA). In December 2013, President Obama notified the US Congress of his intention to designate Curaçao as a beneficiary country under the 
                                               
1 WT/L/753. 
2 Prior to enactment of the United States-Caribbe an Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) in 2000, the 
products excluded from duty free treatment were: textile  and apparel articles whic h are subject to textile 
agreements; certain footwear which was not eligible fo r duty free entry under the US Generalized System of 
Preferences in 1983; prepared tuna in airtight cont ainers; petroleum and petroleum products; watches and 
watch parts if such products contain any material fro m 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 und er 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. 
3 Aruba, Bahamas, Grenada, Dominica, St. Kitts,  and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. WT/L/928 
 
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  CBERA.  The United States is currently reviewing the eligibility of the other countries and 
dependent territories who requested benefits.   
2.3.   On 5 August 2004, the United States sign ed 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 20 06; 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, 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 CBERA and CBTPA beneficiary. 
2.4.  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 sourcing 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-produc ed apparel. In 2010, the Haiti 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. 
3  CBERA PERFORMANCE 
3.1.  The CBERA program has helped beneficiary countries diversify their exports. On a region-
wide basis, this export diversification has led to a more balanced production and export base and 
has resulted in a reduction in the region's vulnerability to fluctuations in markets for traditional 
products.   
3.2.  In 2013, US imports under CBERA preferences fell 24.4% from the previous year, primarily 
due to a decline in petroleum imports under CBERA. In 2012, US imports under CBERA were $3.14 
billion. In 2013, US imports under CBERA were $2.37 billion. 
3.3.  The value of US imports of textile and apparel
4 under CBERA was $346 million in 2013, 
compared to $429 million in 2012. In 2005, CBERA beneficiary countries’ share of the value of 
total US textile and apparel imports was 10.6%; in 2013, their share had fallen to 0.7%. Much, 
but not all, of the decline is due to the shift of the leading apparel-supplying countries from the CBERA program to the CAFTA-DR. 
3.4.  Of the $2.37 billion in imports under  CBERA in 2013, energy-related products
5 accounted for 
71.4%, textiles and apparel (almost all apparel) for 14.6%, and agricultural products and processed food for 3.5%.  The three leading ca tegories of US imports from CBERA countries 
in 2013 –organic chemicals (HTS chapter 29), minera l fuel products (HTS chapter 27), and knitted 
or crocheted articles of apparel and clothing (HTS chapter 61) – accounted for 85.6% of US imports from CBERA countries. 
3.5.  Trinidad and Tobago became the leading source of US imports entering under CBERA 
preferences in 2005. The United States import ed $1.6 billion under CBERA preferences from 
Trinidad and Tobago in 2013. Imports under CBER A preferences from Trinidad and Tobago were 
dominated by petroleum and methanol. Haiti was the second leading supplier of US imports under 
CBERA. US imports from Haiti under CBERA totalled $361.6 million in 2013, mostly textiles and 
apparel products. 
3.6.  Statistical annexes are provided to present a detailed description of the trade aspects of the 
CBERA program for the most recent period. Deta iled information for previous years has been 
provided in previous reports to the GATT Council or WTO General Council. 
                                               
4 The term “textiles and apparel” used herein encomp asses chapters 50-63 (based  on that used in the 
WTO). 
5 The term “energy-related pr oducts” used herein encompasses HTS chapters 27 and 29. WT/L/928 
 
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  Table 1 provides summary information on US imports for consumption under CBERA provisions 
during the period 2005 through 2013.   Table 2  provides information on leading US imports for consumption under CBERA provisions, by 
product, during 2011 through 2013. 
 Table 3  provides information on US trade with CBERA countries during 2005 through 2013. 
 
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  WT/L/928  
 
- 4 - TABLE 1 
US IMPORTS FOR CONSUMPTION UNDER CBERA PROVISIONS, BY SOURCES, 2005-20136 
                    
Source 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 
  Value (1,000 dollars) 
Trin & Tobago 2,734,524 3,677,726  2,832,296  2,365,386  1,533,773 2,205,811  2,594,465  2,171,207  1,640,693  
Haiti 303,390 379,321  430,389  405,118  388,854 364,114  474,602  436,783  361,625  
Bahamas 92,705 125,056  137,351  141,038  96,545 98,989  123,854  130,309  142,890  
Belize 54,749 72,221  54,460  129,517  66,019 61,744  146,045  131,898  104,822  
Jamaica 166,708 245,755  235,947  319,600  212,365 83,910  179,045  206,046  91,931  
St Kitts-Nevis 25,211 24,750  16,189  14,071  8,919 20,466  27,273  22,350  18,933  
Guyana 6,721 5,098  10,099  20,613  14,418 10,632  11,129  5,300  4,532  
St Lucia Is 6,353 7,076  8,594  11,081  10,937 9,199  1,889  1,836  3,155  
Barbados 3,859 4,765  7,100  6,913  4,603 7,233  4,493  3,812  2,040  
Grenada Is 9 56 25 126 78 150 257 341 295 
Dominica Is 79 66 45 200 115 53 149 117 170 
St Vinc & Gren 521 210 216 171 117 124 88 138 141 
Br  Virgin Is 198 223 65 437 26 86 136 451 103 
Antigua Barbuda 34 23 132 94 231 21 23 30 24 
Aruba 30 171 295 229 153 566 249 27 18 
Panama 32,791 33,828  31,191  46,466  20,607 28,435  55,184  26,319  0 
Netherlands Ant 6,763 2,157  3,598  11,933  868 1,193  344 0 0 
El Salvador 1,226,033 154,121  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Honduras 2,372,315 555,925  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Costa Rica 1,157,763 1,382,065  1,417,864  1,252,756  0 0 0 0 0 
Nicaragua 403,798 110,981  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Dominican Rep 2,483,579 2,481,035  310,104  0 0 0 0 0 0 
Guatemala 1,246,183 652,845  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Total 12,336,372 9,915,473  5,495,960  4,725,747  2,358,628 2,892,726  3,619,227  3,136,962  2,371,374  
Note:  Because of rounding, figure s may not add to totals given. 
Source:  Compiled from offi cial statistics of the US Department of Commerce. 
                                               
6 CAFTA-DR entered into force for the following countries (date of entry into force), at which time they ceased to be CBERA bene ficiaries: El Salvador (1 March 2006), 
Honduras and Nicaragua (1 April 2006), Guatemala (1 July 2006), th e Dominican Republic (1 March 2007), and Costa Rica (1 Januar y 2009).  TPA entered into force as of 
31 October 2012, at which time Panama ceased to be a CBERA beneficiary.  
  WT/L/928  
 
- 5 - TABLE 1 – CONTINUED 
US IMPORTS FOR CONSUMPTION UNDER CBERA PROVISIONS, BY SOURCES, 2005-2013 
Source 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 
  % of total 
Trin & Tobago 22.17  37.09  51.53  50.05  65.03 76.25  71.69  69.21  69.19  
Haiti 2.46 3.83 7.83 8.57 16.49 12.59  13.11  13.92  15.25  
Bahamas 0.90 1.26 2.50 2.98 4.09 3.42 3.42 4.15 6.03 
Belize 0.44 0.73 0.99 2.74 2.80 2.13 4.04 4.20 4.42 
Jamaica 1.35 2.48 4.29 6.76 9.00 2.90 4.95 6.57 3.88 
St Kitts-Nevis 0.20 0.25 0.29 0.30 0.38 0.71 0.75 0.71 0.80 
Guyana 0.05 0.05 0.18 0.44 0.61 0.37 0.31 0.17 0.19 
St Lucia Is 0.05 0.07 0.16 0.23 0.46 0.32 0.05 0.06 0.13 
Barbados 0.03 0.05 0.13 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.12 0.12 0.09 
Grenada Is (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) 0.01 0.01 0.01 
Dominica Is (a) (a) (a) (a) 0.01 (a) (a) (a) 0.01 
St Vinc & Gren (a) (a) (a) (a) 0.01 (a) (a) (a) 0.01 
Br  Virgin Is (a) (a) (a) 0.01 (a) (a) (a) 0.01 (a) 
Antigua Barbuda (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) 
Aruba (a) (a) 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.02 (a) (a) (a) 
Panama 0.27 0.34 0.57 0.98 0.87 0.98 1.53 0.84 0.00 
Netherlands Ant 0.05 0.02 0.07 0.25 0.04 0.04 0.01 0.00 0.00 
El Salvador 9.94 1.55 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Honduras 19.23  5.61 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Costa Rica 9.38 13.94  25.80  26.51  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Nicaragua 3.27 1.12 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Dominican Rep 20.13  25.02  5.64 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Guatemala 10.10  6.58 0.00 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%. 
Source:  Compiled from offi cial statistics of the US Department of Commerce. WT/L/928 
 
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  TABLE 2 
LEADING US IMPORTS FOR CONSUMPTION UNDER CBERA PROVISIONS, 2011-2013 
HTS 
Number Description 2011 2012 2013 Change 
2012 - 
2013 
      Value (millions of dollars) % 
2905.11.20 Methanol (Methyl alcohol), other than imported 
only for use in producing synthetic natural gas (SNG) or for direct use as fuel 1,096.8 1,022.3 1,171.5 14.6 
2709.00.20 Petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals, 
crude, testing 25 degrees A.P.I. or more 1,273.9 1,163.7 371.2 -68.1 
6109.10.00 T-shirts, single-t’s, tank tops and similar garments, 
knitted or crocheted, of cotton 213.1 224.6 208.7 -7.1 
3903.11.00 Polystyrene, expandable, in primary forms 122.2 129.4 141.5 9.4 
2710.19.06 Distillate and residual fuel oil (including blends) 
derived from petroleum or  oils from bituminous 
minerals, testing > 25 degrees A.P.I. NV 34.8 132.5 280.7 
6110.20.20 Sweaters, pullovers and similar articles, knitted or 
crocheted, of cotton, nesoi 220.7 176.1 118.2 -32.9 
2207.10.60 Undenatured ethyl alcohol of 80% vol. alcohol or 
higher, for nonbeverage purposes 239.5 149.8 25.8 -82.8 
0714.30.10 Fresh or chilled yams (Dioscorea spp.), whether or 
not sliced or in the form of pellets NV 15.8 17.0 7.6 
2933.61.00 Melamine 23.7 21.5 16.8 -21.9 
0807.20.00 Papayas (papaws), fresh 12.7 11.1 12.2 9.9 8525.50.30 Transmission apparatus for television, nesoi 15.7 12.2 10.6 -13.1 6109.90.10 T-shirts, singlets, tank tops and similar garments, 
knitted or crocheted, of man-made fibers 18 15.6 10.6 -32.1 
2106.90.99 Food preparations not elsewhere specified or 
included, not canned or frozen 3.8 6.0 8.3 38.3 
0804.50.40 Guavas, mangoes, and mangosteens, fresh, if 
entered during the peri od September 1 through 
May 31, inclusive 7.1 6.1 7.9 29.5 
2009.11.00 Orange juice, frozen, unfermented and not 
containing added spirit 6.5 7.9 7.0 -11.4 
2103.90.80 Mixed condiments and mixed seasonings, not 
described in add US note 3 to Ch. 21 5.6 5.8 5.8 0.0 
2103.90.90 Sauces and preparations therefor, nesoi 4.7 4.8 5.4 12.5 2009.19.00 Orange juice, not frozen, of a Brix value exceeding 
20, unfermented 4.6 8.1 5.1 -37.0 
2008.99.90 Fruit nesoi, and other edible parts of plants nesoi, 
other than pulp and excluding mixtures, otherwise prepared or preserved, nesoi 5.1 5.0 4.9 -2.0 
2202.10.00 Waters, including mineral waters and aerated 
waters, containing added sugar or other sweetening matter or flavored 6.5 5.4 4.7 -13.0 
0804.50.60 Guavas, mangoes, and mangosteens, fresh, if 
entered during the period 1 June through 31 August, inclusive 3.3 2.9 4.5 55.2 
Total of above 3,283.5 3,028.9 2,290.2 -24.4 
All other 335.8 108.2 81.1 -25.0 
   Total 3,619.2 3,137.0 2,371.4 -24.4 
Note:  Because of rounding, figures ma y not add to totals given.  The abbreviation "nesoi" stands for "not 
elsewhere specified or otherwise included."  NV indicates the tariff line was not valid in that year.    Source:  Compiled from offi cial statistics of the US Department of Commerce. 
 
 
 WT/L/928 
 
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  TABLE 3 
US TRADE WITH CBERA BENEFICIARY COUNTRIES, 2005-20137 
Share of US 
exports to 
the world Share of US 
imports to 
the world Year US Exports8 US Imports9 US trade 
balance 
Millions dollars % Millions dollars % Millions dollars 
2005 26,056.6 3.2 31,626.6  1.9 -5,570.0  
2006 30,999.9 3.3 32,623.8  1.8 -1,624.0  
2007 24,639.7 2.4 22,509.9  1.2 2,129.8  
2008 23,488.7 2.0 19,295.9  0.9 4,192.8  
2009 18,821.4 2.0 14,940.4  1.0 3,881.0  
2010 18,478.6 1.6 10,074.3  0.5 8,404.3  
2011 19,837.2 1.5 15,290.4  0.7 4,546.9  
2012 20,708.4 1.5 11,938.5  0.5 8,769.8  
2013 12,125.1 0.9 8,939.7  0.4 3,185.4  
Note: Because of rounding, figure s may not add to totals given. 
Source: Compiled from offici al statistics of the US Department of Commerce. 
 
 
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7 Includes imports and exports for countries on l y  w h i l e  t h e y  w e r e  C B ERA beneficiaries.  See CBERA 
Table 1 for programme coverage. 
8 Domestic exports, f.a.s. basis. 
9 Imports for consumption, customs value.