USITC reports find SSA apparel exports up during 2001-2005 period
13 Apr '07
2 min read
US International Trade Commission (ITC or Commission) in its report Sub-Saharan Africa: Factors Affecting Trade Patterns of Selected Industries states that exports of apparel from SSA increased 13 percent by value from 2001 through 2005 and accounted for 80 percent of total SSA exports of both textiles and apparel in 2005.
SSA countries largely benefited from the duty-free, quota-free access to the U.S. market granted under AGOA during 2001–05, while other countries were constrained by quotas under the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC).
This overall increase in exports from SSA during the 2000–05 period occurred despite a decline of $393 million from 2004 and 2005 as a result of the full phase out of global quotas for WTO (World Trade Organization) members on January 1, 2005, in accordance with the ATC.
Because apparel exports account for a large portion of exports from SSA's textile and apparel sector, as well as from the SSA countries that exported the largest shares of textiles and apparel. While many SSA countries export apparel, six countries—Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Swaziland, Ethiopia, and Botswana — will be discussed here. These countries were chosen because they demonstrated increased apparel exports at average annual rates from 4 to 125 percent, and they sustained increased export levels from 2004 through 2005.
These six countries accounted for 47 percent of SSA apparel exports and along with South Africa and Mauritius accounted for
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