American Apparel And Footwear Association Commends Haiti Revitalization Act

　 The American clothing and Footwear Association (AAFA) commended the house of representatives of the United States Congress for adopting the 2010 Haiti economic revitalization (HELP) act. In April 28th, chairman SanderLevin and senior member DaveCamp of the methodology Committee, member of the house of Representatives CharlesRangel, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and senior member ChuckGrassley proposed HELP proposal. AAFA also sent a "key vote letter" to members of the house and Senate demanding quick passage of the HELP proposal.

After the house of Representatives passed the HELP bill, the bill is now submitted to the Senate and passed by the Senate before it can be sent to the president for signature. The HELP act 2010 will update the Caribbean Basin trade partner Act (CBTPA) and 2006 partners' participation (HOPE) and 2008 (HOPEII) Haiti hemisphere opportunity law and extend it to 2020. The expiration date of CBTPA is September 30, 2010, and the key content of HOPE is due at the end of next year. The proposed law will also increase the current tariff preferences for some knitted and woven garments. While assisting Haiti's economic recovery, the law will also create a predictable environment for the clothing and textile industry of the United States.

After the earthquake, AAFA convened the industry's common interests bearers to set up the Haiti -AAFA recovery and reconstruction team (HARRT). This member based team provided an important insight into the clothing, footwear and textile industries at the beginning of the rescue operation and reconstruction plan in the Haiti earthquake stricken area.

The mission of HARRT is to ensure that the clothing and footwear industry plays a responsible and proactive role in the overall recovery of Haiti. HARRT continues to search for active Haiti clothing and footwear manufacturers to learn more about their specific and changing needs. HARRT will help Haiti's clothing and footwear industry to solve infrastructure problems, factory capacity levels, workforce training, reliable production, procurement models, and many other important issues through its core objectives. In assisting Haiti's construction, members of the task force will also tell the US government officials what the industry will need.