{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr1295-114/featured_trade-preferences-extension-act-of-2015-1454548334.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr1295-114/featured_large_trade-preferences-extension-act-of-2015-1454548334.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr1295-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2015-03-04","title_override":"Should the U.S. Continue to Offer Duty-Free Imports From African Countries and Haiti?","summary_override":"

Originally, this bill was all about the IRS, proposing to make it easier for organizations to register as tax-exempt 501(c)(4) entities with the IRS. Passed through committee, and by voice vote in the House, this bill was taken by the Senate and re-purposed (i.e. totally gutted) as the \"legislative vehicle\" for something completely unrelated. Through a series of amendments, the Senate changes this bill to be about reducing barriers to trade with Africa, Haiti, and other \"less-developed\" countries by inserting the text of S. 1267 (a related bill to H.R. 1819) into this bill (H.R. 1295).

Okay, now with it's new identity, this bill would extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act \n(AGOA) for 10 years through 2025. The Act is currently set to expire on \nSeptember 30, 2015.

The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program would be renewed through December 31, 2017 and retroactive relief would be given to eligible products imported while the GSP was defunct when it expired on July 31, 2013. The GSP program allows the U.S. to import products duty-free from 126 designated beneficiary countries and territories that are considered ‘third-country’ or least developed.

The Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership \nEncouragement Act (HOPE and HELP) would also be extended until September\n 30, 2025. These programs enable Haiti to export a variety of products, including certain apparel products, into the U.S. duty-free. This supports Haiti’s apparel industry, which is a primary source of employment in that country.

AGOA allows fabrics, textiles, and apparel produced in ‘third-country’ nations in sub-Saharan Africa to be imported duty-free — which basically means the U.S. won’t apply a tariff on the product, raising costs for purchasers.

African\n countries that would export to the U.S. through AGOA benefit from\n a broader definition of AGOA-eligible products — AGOA countries \ncould combine inputs to meet satisfy AGOA’s rule of origin.

A President or their Administration under this bill has to give Congress at least 60 days notice before removing a country from the AGOA program, or \nwithdrawing, suspending, or limiting any benefits. The Administration \nwould be granted greater flexibility in withdrawing, suspending, or \nlimiting AGOA benefits if it believes that would be more effective than \nterminating them altogether.

Oversight and \ntransparency concerns would be addressed by creating additional \nCongressional notification and reporting requirements. Mechanisms for \npublic input would be established, and at any time any party could \npetition the U.S. Trade Representative about whether a country is \nmeeting the AGOA eligibility criteria.

","official_title":"An act to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the Generalized System of Preferences, the preferential duty treatment program for Haiti, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015\n\nTITLE I--EXTENSION OF AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY ACT\n\nAGOA Extension and Enhancement Act of 2015\n\n(Sec. 103) This bill amends the Trade Act of 1974 and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to extend through FY2025 the duty-free treatment of the products of beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries under those Acts.\n\nThe extended period also applies to:\n\n the preferential treatment of apparel articles wholly assembled, or components knit-to-shape and wholly assembled, in one or more beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries from yarns originating in the United States or one or more beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries or former beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries, or both; and the third-country fabric program granting duty-free treatment of apparel articles wholly assembled, or knit-to-shape and wholly assembled, or both, in one or more lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries, regardless of the country of...","summarized":true,"cost":81000000,"cost_commentary":"The CBO estimates that this bill would reduce spending by $5.9 billion and reduce revenues by about $5.8 billion over the 2015-2025 period — decreasing deficits over the 11-year period by approximately $81 million. 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Most disappointed in you.","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":0,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/8e84509f-25b3-4532-bc8f-47fab0769a9d"},"body":"This how the American workers get screwed over by Congress. Think of how it will affect American workers before offering Duty-Free Imports from anywhere. Most disappointed in you.","stance":"yea","created_at":"2015-04-19T23:45:34.921Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/8e84509f-25b3-4532-bc8f-47fab0769a9d.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr1295-114","user_id":"NZa6RYm6","endorser_ids":[]}}

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Should the U.S. Continue to Offer Duty-Free Imports From African Countries and Haiti?