The US government and the textile and apparel industry are joining forces to help earthquake-devastated Haiti recover by boosting its key clothing industry, officials said Tuesday.
US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, announcing the initiative at a trade show in Las Vegas, said the program would encourage US brands and retailers to work toward sourcing one percent of their total apparel production from Haiti.
"To continue to grow Haitian apparel exports and help Haiti's economy for the long term, additional investment in and sourcing from Haiti is critical. And that is where the Plus One for Haiti program can make a difference," said Kirk.
"And critically, a coordinated effort that promises increased sourcing can encourage investors to get Haitian factories up and running again and provide the demand necessary to encourage expansion of apparel manufacturing capacity."
The January 12 earthquake crushed the capital Port-au-Prince, killing more than 217,000 people out of a population of nine million, and pummeled an economy that was already the poorest in the western hemisphere.
The Plus 1 for Haiti program builds on an ongoing effort between the US trade department and US brands and retailers through a partnership act known as HOPE II that aims to foster stability and economic development in Haiti.
HOPE II allows duty-free access to the US market for Haitian-made apparel and other articles.
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