Earned Import Allowance Program: Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Program for Certain Apparel from the Dominican Republic; Third Annual Review
Investigatio No. 332-503
USITC Publication 4340
Summary
Three years after its implementation, the Earned Import Allowance Program (EIAP) is not providing enough incentives to help boost the competitiveness of Dominican apparel exports in the U.S. market, as intended, reports the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) in its newly released publication.
The EIAP program allows apparel manufacturers in the Dominican Republic who use U.S. fabric to produce certain apparel to earn a credit that can be used to ship eligible apparel made with non-U.S.-produced fabric into the United States duty free. The Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, as amended, requires the USITC to evaluate annually the effectiveness of the EIAP program and make recommendations for improvements.
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The Year in Trade 2011
USITC Publication 4336
Summary
An outstanding resource for anyone working in or covering the field of international trade, the USITC's The Year in Trade is one of the government's most comprehensive reports of U.S. trade-related activities, covering major multilateral, regional, and bilateral developments.
The publication reviews U.S. international trade laws and actions under these laws, activities of the World Trade Organization (WTO), U.S. free trade agreements and negotiations, and U.S. bilateral trade relations with major trading partners.
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Trade Facilitation in the East African Community: Recent Developments and Potential Benefits
Investigation No. 332-530
USITC Publication 4335
Summary
Modern business practices, such as just-in-time delivery systems and global
supply chains, underscore the importance of timely, predictable delivery. Trade
facilitation—encompassing both simplified customs procedures and upgrades
to transportation infrastructure—enhances countries’ ability to compete in
international markets by reducing shipping delays and risk, and lowering the
cost of trading.
Trade is growing rapidly among the countries of the East African Community
(EAC)—Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda–expanding the
volumes of goods crossing their borders. Members of the EAC, together with
other African countries, have recognized the importance of improving these
aspects of trade. This report outlines recent efforts by EAC countries to improve
trade facilitation measures. It also describes the potential benefits to EAC
countries of improved trade facilitation, based on a review of empirical studies
and the experiences of other developing countries.
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Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade
Investigation No. 332-345
USITC Publication 4338
Summary
The United States is the world’s largest services market and was the world’s largest
cross-border exporter and importer of services in 2010.1 In recent years, global trade in
services showed signs of recovering from the economic downturn, with both U.S. exports
and imports of services increasing rapidly.
The 2012 Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade report, part of an annual series prepared
by the U.S. International Trade Commission (Commission or USITC), provides an
overview of U.S. trade in services. This year’s report focuses primarily on recent
developments in the banking, insurance, logistics, retail, securities, and
telecommunication services industries.2 These infrastructure services are critical inputs to
every sector and directly affect the competitiveness and productivity of the overall
economy. The United States remained a world leader in these industries, generating a
cross-border trade surplus in all but the insurance and logistics industries in 2010.
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