Togo qualifies for AGOA textile & apparel benefits

“The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has determined that Togo has adopted an effective visa system and related procedures to prevent the unlawful transshipment of textile and apparel articles and the use of counterfeit documents in connection with the shipment of such articles, and has implemented and follows, or is making substantial progress towards implementing and following, the custom procedures required under AGOA. Therefore, imports of eligible products from Togo qualify for the textile and apparel benefits provided under the AGOA,” Office of the USTR said in Federal Register.

Enacted in 2000, AGOA was renews in September 2015 for another ten years till 2025. It provides preferential tariff treatment for imports of certain textile and apparel products of 39 beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries. The textile and apparel trade benefits under AGOA are available to imports of eligible products from countries that the US President designates as “beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries,” provided that these countries satisfy two conditions.

The first condition is to have adopted an effective visa system and related procedures to prevent the unlawful transshipment of textile and apparel articles and the use of counterfeit documents in connection with shipment of such articles. The second is to have implemented and follow, or are making substantial progress towards implementing and following, certain customs procedures that assist the US Customs and Border Protection in verifying the origin of the products. Based on the actions Togo has taken, the USTR has determined that Togo has satisfied these two requirements.

However, Togolese imports claiming preferential tariff treatment under the AGOA for entries of textile and apparel articles would still need to ensure that those entries meet the applicable visa requirement. (RKS)

ALCHEMPro News Desk – India