The U.S. is Haiti’s most important trading partner, with about 80 percent of Haiti’s goods exports led by exports of knit apparel (largely T-shirts) now representing 83 percent of all U.S. apparel imports from Haiti.
A report from the International Trade Commission reveals that the US trade preferences program paid dividends for Haiti and created numerous jobs. The investment in Haiti’s apparel sector accelerated despite a difficult political, social, and environmental landscape.
Haiti was facilitated by numerous US trade concessions including the Generalized System of Preferences, the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA), and the Haiti-specific trade preference program comprising the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity(HOPE) and the Haiti Economic Lift Program Act of 2010(HELP). Over 67 percent of U.S. imports from Haiti came through HOPE/HELP, while CBPTA accounted for 23.6 percent of US imports.
Haiti’s apparel sector manufactures knitted and woven apparel and its exports to the US quadrupled after the CBTPA and HOPE/HELP were implemented. Haitian factories produce diversified apparel varieties like outerwear, activewear, workwear, tailored items, and lingerie.
Leading US apparel brands favoring nearshoring of inputs also benefited the Haitian textile industry to upgrade and grow.
