The legislation will extend trade preferences for African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)-eligible countries, a provision which will help keep hundreds of thousands of women in Africa employed, and was set to expire on September 30.
The legislation also makes important technical changes to the textile and apparel provisions of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States (CAFTA-DR) Free Trade Agreement. The changes will support the U.S. textile industry in North Carolina and South Carolina, and is expected to save 2,000 American jobs.
“I am pleased that both the House and the Senate approved an extension to renew the Third-Country Fabric provision of AGOA as well as make important fixes to our CAFTA-DR agreement. The approval of these provisions supports the U.S. textile industry and will save 2,000 American jobs,” said Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank.
“This bipartisan action will save the jobs of thousands of workers and small business owners in the United States, Africa and Latin America. This legislation is an important part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to strengthen the U.S. manufacturing industry, improve our international trade relationships, and support American jobs.”
US Department of Commerce