Wyden launches effort to help Haitis textile industry

AP Photo/The Miami Herald, Al DiazMilagro Sosa works at one of the few clothing factories in Haiti not damaged by the earthquake.

The industry was helped by favorable trade rules that allowed products from Haiti to flow into the United States. That trade agreement is scheduled to expire in September. Wyden and Nelson want to jump start the legislative process for renewing it to send a clear signal to potential investors.

"The millions of aid dollars flowing into Haiti right now are essential to addressing the immediate crisis, but Haiti??s long-term survival depends on immediate steps being taken to protect its economic future," said Wyden, who will help move the bill from his perch as chair of the Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness.

"By renewing pro-Haitian provisions in U.S. trade law, streamlining customs processes and opening up avenues for foreign investment, the U.S. can have a significant impact on this fragile economy and restore a much-needed sense of normalcy."

Haiti??s apparel industry has grown in recent years large in response to more trade rules by the U.S.

The Renewing Hope Act will renew these trade laws, some of which were set to expire in September, Wyden said in a statement announcing the push.

Renewing this law now will send a clear signal to U.S. retailers that they do not need to look to China and other Asian countries to fill orders but will instead be able to continue doing business with Haitian producers.''

The effort is no small matter for Haiti. The United States is Haiti's largest trading partner and apparel accounts for two-thirds of all goods shipped. One analyst valued Haiti's apparel exports at $42 million between January and October 2009.