HOPE for Haitian Prosperity Act of 2023

Bill: 118-hr-5035
Sponsor: full_name: Del. Plaskett, Stacey E. [D-VI-At Large]
Introduced: 2023-07-27
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Latest action: action_date: 2024-12-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-07-27
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b>Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Enhancement for Haitian Prosperity Act of 2023 or the HOPE for Haitian Prosperity Act of 2023</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">This bill extends trade preferences for certain U.S. imports of textile and apparel products from Haiti. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Specifically, the bill extends through FY2035 the special duty-free rules for Haiti. It also extends through December 19, 2035, the duty-free treatment provided for certain apparel products assembled in and imported from Haiti.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Furthermore, the bill also expands the definition of <i>core labor standards</i> to include a safe and healthy work environment. (Generally, in order to qualify for preferential treatment, the goods must come from a producer that complies with specified core labor standards. Currently, these core labor standards pertain to freedom of association, recognizing collective bargaining rights, eliminating forced labor, abolishing child labor, and eliminating employment discrimination.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"> Any interested party may file a request to have individual producers reviewed for compliance with the core labor standards and with Haitian labor standards and laws. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">The bill also requires the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to provide technical assistance to Haitian government agencies, employers, labor unions, and others to increase and diversify exports to the United States.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;" />

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5035 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 27, 2023 Ms. Plaskett (for herself, Ms. Sewell , and Mr. Blumenauer ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means A BILL To modify the special rules for Haiti under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, to extend preferential duty treatment program for Haiti under that Act, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Enhancement for Haitian Prosperity Act of 2023 or the HOPE for Haitian Prosperity Act of 2023 . 2. Modification of special rules for Haiti under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (a) Eligibility requirements Section 213A(d)(4) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act ( 19 U.S.C. 2703a(d)(4) ) is amended— (1) by striking Any interested party and inserting the following: (A) In general Any interested party ; (2) by striking paragraph (1), and inserting paragraph (1). ; (3) by striking and the President shall provide for this purpose and inserting the following: (C) Applicable procedures The President shall provide for the purpose of subparagraph (A) and the purpose of subparagraph (B) ; and (4) by inserting after subparagraph (A) (as so designated) the following: (B) Compliance with core labor standards and with the labor laws of haiti Any interested party may file a request to have the status of individual producers reviewed with respect to compliance with core labor standards and with the labor laws of Haiti that directly relate to and are consistent with core labor standards and with the labor laws of Haiti that relate to acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages and hours of work. . (b) Technical assistance improvement and compliance needs assessment and remediation program Section 213A(e)(4)(B) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act ( 19 U.S.C. 2703a(e)(4)(B) ) is amended— (1) in clause (i)— (A) by striking a biennial basis and inserting an annual basis ; and (B) by adding at the end before the period the following: or with the labor laws of Haiti that relate to acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages and hours of work ; (2) in clause (ii)— (A) in the first sentence, by adding at the end before the period the following: and with the labor laws of Haiti that relate to acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages and hours of work ; and (B) by inserting after the first sentence the following new sentence: The President may withdraw, suspend, or limit the application of preferential treatment under subsection (b) to articles of such producer during the period in which assistance described in the preceding sentence is being provided to the producer. ; and (3) in clause (iii), by inserting after and are consistent with core labor standards the following: and with the labor laws of Haiti that relate to acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages and hours of work . 3. Extension of preferential duty treatment program for Haiti Section 213A of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act ( 19 U.S.C. 2703a ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)(3)— (A) in subparagraph (D), by striking and at the end; (B) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (F) a safe and healthy working environment. ; (2) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (1)— (i) in subparagraph (B)(v)(I)— (I) by striking means and all that follows through 60 percent and inserting means 60 percent ; and (II) by striking 7 succeeding 1-year periods and inserting 17 succeeding 1-year periods ; and (ii) in subparagraph (C)— (I) in the table, by striking 16 succeeding 1-year periods and inserting 28 succeeding 1-year periods ; and (II) in the matter following the table, by striking 2025 and inserting 2035 ; and (B) in paragraph (2)— (i) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking 16 succeeding 1-year periods and inserting 26 succeeding 1-year periods ; and (ii) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking 16 succeeding 1-year periods and inserting 26 succeeding 1-year periods ; (3) in subsection (d)(1)(A)(vi), by striking , hours of work, and occupational safety and health and inserting and hours of work ; (4) in subsection (e)(3)— (A) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking , hours of work, and occupational safety and health and inserting and hours of work ; and (B) in subparagraph and (E)(ii), by striking , hours of work, and occupational safety and health and inserting and hours of work ; and (5) in subsection (h), by striking 2025 and inserting 2035 . 4. Technical assistance to increase and diversify exports from Haiti to the United States Section 213A of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act ( 19 U.S.C. 2703a ), as amended by this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following: (i) Technical assistance To increase and diversify exports from Haiti to the United States (1) In general The United States Trade Representative shall provide technical assistance to the agencies, entities, and individuals specified in clauses (i) through (v) of paragraph (2)(B), to increase and diversify exports from Haiti to the United States with the objectives of— (A) increasing and diversifying export-oriented value chains in Haiti through measures that enhance the competitiveness of firms in Haiti; (B) reinforcing the capacity of trade support institutions to enhance the business climate in Haiti; and (C) developing utilization strategies for Haiti to further explore export opportunities under United States trade preference programs. (2) Requirements The Trade Representative— (A) shall seek to coordinate with the International Trade Center to develop and provide technical assistance; (B) shall establish a participatory process to develop the technical assistance that includes— (i) appropriate agencies of the Government of Haiti; (ii) trade support institutions in Haiti; (iii) employers in Haiti; (iv) workers in Haiti; and (v) labor unions in Haiti; and (C) shall consult with the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate regarding the development and provision of technical assistance. (3) Priority Technical assistance provided pursuant to this subsection shall focus on— (A) developing agricultural processing exports to the United States; (B) improving competitiveness and labor compliance in the apparel sector; (C) improving key services that support the competitiveness of sectors with export potential to the United States; and (D) providing the institutional capacity for government, non-profit, and private sector bodies to increase and diversify exports to the United States. (4) Reports (A) In general The President shall include in each report required to be submitted to Congress under section 163(a) of the Trade Act of 1974 ( 19 U.S.C. 2213(a) ) the following: (i) A description of the actions taken to provide technical assistance during the preceding calendar year, including metrics related to the outcomes achieved through such assistance. (ii) A description of the actions taken regarding the participatory process under paragraph (3)(B) during the preceding calendar year, including an identification of the agencies, entities, and individuals specified in clauses (i) through (v) of paragraph (2)(B) that participated. (B) Coordination The President shall seek to coordinate with the International Trade Center in carrying out this paragraph. (5) Definitions In this subsection— (A) the term International Trade Center — (i) means the joint agency of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the World Trade Organization, originally established by the Contracting Parties of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade on March 19, 1964, and from January 1, 1968, operated jointly with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; and (ii) includes any subdivision, instrumentality, or designee thereof; and (B) the term trade support institutions means key actors that support the export-oriented business climate, such as— (i) the Haitian Ministry of Commerce and Industry; (ii) the Haitian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and (iii) trade promotion organizations. .