The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) praised the U.S. House of Representatives for voting 285 – 132 to approve the U.S./ Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) negotiated by the Bush Administration.
AAFA actively supports the U.S./ Peru TPA and, in advance of vote, submitted a key vote letter to all U.S. Representatives asking them to vote to approve the measure. The TPA must now be considered and voted on by the U.S. Senate.
“The House of Representatives has taken the lead”, praised Kevin M. Burke, President and CEO, AAFA. “Now the U.S./ Peru TPA needs to be approved quickly by the Senate” “Additionally, there continue to be key trade initiatives that need addressing by Congress,” continued Burke.
“The last-minute scramble in Congress to renew the Andean Trade Preference Act each time it is set to expire –and the uncertain business climate this creates - is proof of the need for permanent, comprehensive free trade agreements with countries in the region, like Peru, Panama and Colombia.”
Under the Andean Trade Preference Act, garment manufacturers in Peru and other Andean nations have been able to get duty-free access to the U.S. market when they use U.S. textile inputs.
As a result, the Andean region has emerged as an important market for U.S. cotton farmers, yarn spinners and fabric mills.
Most of the garments we import from the Andean region are made largely from U.S. textile inputs. The U.S./Peru TPA will build on the success of that program.
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