Enhancing the competitiveness of Made in America textiles in the Asia-Pacific region.
U.S. textile and apparel manufacturers sold more than $10 billion worth of products to TPP countries in 2013, an increase of 5.4 percent from the previous year. Many U.S. yarns, fabrics, and apparel currently face very high tariffs upon entering some TPP countries. Our goal in the TPP negotiations is to remove tariff and non-tariff barriers to textile and apparel exports to enhance the competitiveness of our producers in the Asia-Pacific region.
OBJECTIVES
- Eliminate tariffs on textile and apparel exports to TPP countries.
- Secure a “yarn forward” rule of origin, which requires that textile and apparel products be made using U.S. or other TPP country yarns and fabrics to qualify for the benefits of the Agreement.
- Establish a carefully crafted “short supply” list, which would allow fabrics, yarns, and fibers that are not commercially available in TPP countries to be sourced from non-TPP countries and used in the production of apparel in the TPP region without losing duty preference.
- Secure strict enforcement provisions and customs cooperation commitments that will provide for verification of claims of origin or preferential treatment, and denial of preferential treatment or entry for suspect goods if claims cannot be verified.
- Establish a textile specific safeguard mechanism that will allow the United States and other TPP countries to re-impose tariffs on certain goods if a surge in imports causes or threatens to cause serious damage to domestic producers.
RESOURCES
For more information on textiles and apparel trade, visit WWW.USTR.GOV/ISSUE-AREAS/TEXTILES-APPAREL
