The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has launched its biennial review of country eligibility under the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) and is soliciting public comments to inform its report to Congress.
The CBI encompasses two programs: the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) and the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA), which provide trade preferences to eligible Caribbean countries and territories.
Established by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) aimed to promote economic development and political stability in Central America and the Caribbean through duty-free access to the U.S. market for eligible countries.
The Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA), enacted in 2000 and reauthorzed by Congress and President Trump in 2020, expanded CBI preferences, particularly in the textile and apparel sectors, as a complement to the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and in anticipation of the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).
The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) invites comments on the performance of CBI beneficiary countries relative to mandatory and discretionary eligibility criteria outlined in U.S. trade law, including respect for worker rights, intellectual property protections, adherence to trade agreements, and cooperation on counter-narcotics and anti-corruption measures.
CBI beneficiaries include 17 countries and territories such as Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and Belize. The review will assess each country’s continued eligibility and the broader economic impact of the CBI on U.S.-Caribbean trade relations.
Friday, two Scandinavian think tanks released a report on Haiti, a humanitarian and security crisis drawing scant attention from Washington.
SIPRI and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) released a fact sheet that focuses on Haiti and the series of conflict- and climate-related issues facing the country and provides a set of recommended actions for addressing them.
Filed on: 06/13/2025 at 8:45 am Scheduled Pub. Date: 06/16/2025 FR Document: 2025-10953 |
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