WT/L/988  
 
15 July 2016  
(16-3804)  Page: 1/7  
General Council 
27-28 July 2016  Original: English  
 
 UNITED STATES – CARIBBEAN BASIN ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT 
REPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE YEAR 2015 
UNDER THE DECISION OF 5 MAY 20151 
The following communication, dated 13 July 2016, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the United States. 
 
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1  INTRODUCTION 
1.1.  On 5 May 2015, the United States was gran ted 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 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 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 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 2015. 
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 2015, 17 countries and territories received CBERA benefits. These countries and territories were: Antigua and Barb uda, 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.  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, Curaçao was 
                                               
1 WT/L/950. 
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 wa s not eligible for duty free entry und er the U.S. 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, fl at 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/988 
 
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  included as an independent beneficiary to both CBERA and CBTPA. The United States is reviewing 
the request of Sint Maarten for designation as  beneficiary country under CBERA and CBTPA.  
2.3.  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 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 perm itted the use of U.S. 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 addi tional textile and apparel products from Haiti.  
Section 301 of the Trade Preferences Act of 2015 ex tended preferences for certain products of 
Haiti through 30 September 2025. 
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 2015, US imports under CBERA preferences fell 21.9% from the previous year, primarily 
due to a decline in methanol and petroleum imports. In 2014, US imports under CBERA were $2.0 billion. In 2015, US imports under CBERA were $1.5 billion. 
3.3.  The value of US imports of textile and apparel
4 under CBERA was $416 million in 2015, 
compared to $390 million in 2014. In 2005, CBERA beneficiary countries’ share of the value of total US textile and apparel imports was 10.6%; in 2015, their share had fallen to 0.4%. 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 $1.54 billion in imports under  CBERA in 2015, energy-related products
5 accounted for 
51.8%, textiles and apparel (almost all apparel) for 26.6%, and agricultural products and 
processed food for 7.7%.   
3.5.  Trinidad and Tobago became the leading source of U.S. imports entering under CBERA 
preferences in 2005. The United States import ed $829 million under CBERA preferences from 
Trinidad and Tobago in 2015. Imports under CBER A preferences from Trinidad and Tobago were 
dominated by methanol and petroleum. Haiti was the second leading supplier of US imports under 
CBERA. US imports from Haiti under CBERA totalled $434 million in 2015, 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 encompasses HTS 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/988 
 
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  Table 1 provides summary information on US imports for consumption under CBERA provisions 
during the period 2007 through 2015.   Table 2  provides information on leading US imports for consumption under CBERA provisions, by 
product, during 2013 through 2015. 
 Table 3  provides information on US trade with CBERA countries during 2007 through 2015. 
 
 
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  WT/L/988  
 
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US IMPORTS FOR CONSUMPTION UNDER CBERA PROVISIONS, BY SOURCES, 2007-20156 
Source 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 
  Value (1,000 dollars) 
Trin & Tobago 2,832,296 2,365,386 1,533,773 2,207,842 2,589,360 2,171,197 1,640,709 1,234,474 828,770 
Haiti 430,389 405,118 388,854 364,058 474,602 436,783 362,266 405,395 433,516 
Bahamas 137,351 141,038 96,545 98,975 123,854 130,539 141,654 158,191 88,416 
Jamaica 235,947 319,600 212,365 83,910 179,186 206,201 90,231 71,768 81,220 
Belize 54,460 129,517 66,019 61,744 146,045 131,943 104,777 60,582 36,895 
Guyana 10,099 20,613 14,418 10,632 11,172 5,315 4,532 11,857 35,004 
Barbados 7,100 6,913 4,603 7,233 4,493 3,813 2,081 5,295 22,570 
St Kitts-Nevis 16,189 14,071 8,919 20,466 27,273 22,350 18,933 18,341 12,334 
Grenada Is 25 126 78 150 317 341 295 443 1,717 
St Lucia Is 8,594 11,081 10,937 9,199 1,889 1,836 3,210 1,162 1,263 
Aruba 295 229 153 566 249 27 18 75 93 
Antigua Barbuda 132 94 231 21 23 30 24 19 79 
Dominica Is 45 200 115 53 149 117 170 66 77 
St Vinc & Gren 216 171 117 124 88 138 141 182 16 
Br Virgin Is 65 437 26 86 136 451 103 50 9 
Curacao 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5,365 3 
Costa Rica 1,417,864 1,252,756 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Panama 31,191 46,466 20,607 28,911 54,718 26,308 0 0 0 
Dominican Rep 310,104 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Montserrat Is 0 0 0 0 0 24 0 0 0 
Netherlands Ant 3,598 11,933 868 1,193 344 0 0 0 0 
Total 5,495,960 4,725,747 2,358,628 2,895,164 3,613,899 3,137,413 2,369,144 1,973,267 1,541,980 
Note:   Because of rounding, figu res may not add to totals given. 
Source:   Compiled from official statis tics of the US Depart ment 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), the 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/988  
 
- 5 - TABLE 1 – CONTINUED 
US IMPORTS FOR CONSUMPTION UNDER CBERA PROVISIONS, BY SOURCES, 2007-2015 
 
Source 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 
  % of total 
Trin & Tobago 51.53 50.05 65.03 76.26 71.65 69.20 69.25 62.56 53.75 
Haiti 7.83 8.57 16.49 12.57 13.13 13.92 15.29 20.54 28.11 
Bahamas 2.50 2.98 4.09 3.42 3.43 4.16 5.98 8.02 5.73 
Jamaica 4.29 6.76 9.00 2.90 4.96 6.57 3.81 3.64 5.27 
Belize 0.99 2.74 2.80 2.13 4.04 4.21 4.42 3.07 2.39 
Guyana 0.18 0.44 0.61 0.37 0.31 0.17 0.19 0.60 2.27 
Barbados 0.13 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.12 0.12 0.09 0.27 1.46 
St Kitts-Nevis 0.29 0.30 0.38 0.71 0.75 0.71 0.80 0.93 0.80 
Grenada Is (a) 0.00 (a) 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.11 
St Lucia Is 0.16 0.23 0.46 0.32 0.05 0.06 0.14 0.06 0.08 
Aruba 0.01 (a) 0.01 0.02 0.01 (a) (a) (a) 0.01 
Antigua Barbuda (a) (a) 0.01 (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) 0.01 
Dominica Is (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) 0.01 (a) (a) 
St Vinc & Gren (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) 0.01 0.01 (a) 
Br Virgin Is (a) 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Curacao 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.27 (a) 
Costa Rica 25.80 26.51 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Panama 0.57 0.98 0.87 1.00 1.51 0.84 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Dominican Rep 5.64 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Montserrat Is 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 (a) 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Netherlands Ant 0.07 0.25 0.04 0.04 0.01 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 statisti cs of the U.S. Department of Commerce. 
 WT/L/988 
 
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  TABLE 2 
LEADING US IMPORTS FOR CONSUMPTION UNDER CBERA PROVISIONS, 2013-2015 
HTS 
Number Description 2013 2014 2015 Change 
2014 - 
2015 
     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 1,171.5 1,023.6 649.3 -36.6 
6109.10.00 T-shirts, singlets, tank tops and similar garments, 
knitted or crocheted, of cotton 208.7 247.0 271.5 9.9 
2709.00.20 Petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals, 
crude, testing 25 degr ees A.P.I. or more 371.2 192.4 144.9 -24.7 
6110.20.20 Sweaters, pullovers and similar articles, knitted or 
crocheted, of cotton, nesoi 118.2 121.1 121.0 -0.1 
3903.11.00 Polystyrene, expandable, in primary forms 140.5 155.8 86.9 -44.2 
1701.14.10 Other cane sugar, raw, in solid form, w/o added 
flavoring or coloring, subjec t to add. US 5 to Ch.17 0.0 19.5 27.8 42.5 
7108.13.70 Gold (including gold pl ated with platinum), 
nonmonetary, in semimanufactured forms (except 
gold leaf), nesoi 0.0 0.1 20.9 23,112.5 
0714.30.10 Fresh or chilled yams (Dioscorea spp.), whether or 
not sliced or in the form of pellets 17.0 18.2 20.4 11.7 
9030.33.00 Instruments and apparatus, nesi, for measuring or 
checking electrical voltage, current, resistance or 
power, without a recording device 0.4 0.4 17.7 4,191.8 
6109.90.10 T-shirts, singlets, tank tops and similar garments, 
knitted or crocheted, of man-made fibers 10.6 13.5 17.5 30.1 
2106.90.99 Food preparations not elsewhere specified or 
included, not canned or frozen 8.3 9.8 13.5 37.6 
2103.90.90 Sauces and preparations therefor, neosi 5.4 7.2 8.6 20.0 
0804.50.40 Guavas, mangoes, and mangosteens, fresh, if 
entered during the period September 1 through 
May 31, inclusive 8.4 8.6 8.2 -5.0 
0807.20.00 Papayas (papaws), fresh 12.1 7.9 8.1 2.1 
2009.19.00 Orange juice, not frozen, of a Brix value exceeding 
20, unfermented 5.1 6.7 7.9 18.4 
2009.11.00 Orange juice, frozen, unfermented and not 
containing added spirit 7.0 9.1 6.0 -34.3 
0804.50.60 Guavas, mangoes, and mangosteens, fresh, if 
entered during the period  June 1 through August 
31, inclusive 4.0 4.3 5.6 31.4 
2008.99.90 Fruit nesi, and other edible parts of plants nesi, 
other than pulp and excluding mixtures, otherwise prepared or preserved, nesi 4.9 4.4 4.9 10.4 
2103.90.80 Mixed condiments and mixed seasonings, not 
described in add US note 3 to Ch. 21 5.8 6.6 4.3 -35.4 
2933.61.00 Melamine 16.8 16.9 4.2 -75.0 
2202.90.90 Nonalcoholic beverages, nesi, not including fruit or 
vegetable juices of heading 2009 3.5 3.9 4.2 6.0 
 Total of above 2,119.5 1,877.1 1,453.4 -22.6 
 All other 249.6 96.2 88.6 -7.9 
  Total 2,369.1 1,973.3 1,542.0 -21.9 
Note:   Because of rounding, figures may not add to totals given.  The abbreviations "nesoi" and "nesi" 
stand for "not elsewhere specified or otherwise included." 
Source:  Compiled from official statisti cs of the US Depart ment of Commerce. 
 
 WT/L/988 
 
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TABLE 3 
US TRADE WITH CBERA BENEFICIARY COUNTRIES, 2007-20157 
  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 
2007 24,643.7 2.4 22,510.5 1.2 2,133.2 
2008 23,496.7 2.0 19,296.2 0.9 4,200.5 
2009 14,482.9 1.5 9,350.5 0.6 5,132.4 
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 11,877.4 0.9 8,925.2 0.4 2,952.2 
2014 12,811.9 0.9 8,480.0 0.4 4,331.9 
2015 11,568.2 0.9 7,049.1 0.3 4,519.1 
Note:  Because of rounding, figure s may not add to totals given. 
Source:  Compiled from official statisti cs of the US Depart ment of Commerce. 
 
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7 Includes imports and exports for countries only while they were CBERA be neficiaries.  See CBERA 
Table 1 for programme coverage. 
8 Domestic exports, f.a.s. basis. 
9 Imports for consumption, customs value.