AAFA applauds Andean-Caribbean trade moves 

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 10/3/2008 12:54:00 PM

Arlington, Va. – The American Apparel & Footwear Association commended Congress for its approval of textile and fabric trade provisions concerning the Caribbean Basin and the Andean region.

Among other measures included in the bill, Congress approved a one-year extension for Colombia and Peru under the Andean Trade Preferences Act (ATPA), six-month extensions for Bolivia and Ecuador under the ATPA, and one-year extension for the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), the AAFA said.

“These programs were urgently needed,” said AAFA president and ceo Kevin Burke. “About $250 million worth of U.S. cotton and textiles were exported to the four Andean countries of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru last year. American jobs depend on fair, two-way trade with the Andean region and other developing nations worldwide.”