A powerful editorial in yesterday’s Los Angeles Times asks lawmakers to expedite the renewal of a special apparel provision in the “African Growth and Opportunity Act” (AGOA).

“OF ALL THE free-trade pacts signed by the United States over the last decade, perhaps none is as uncontroversial as the African Growth and Opportunity Act. Providing duty-free access to exporters in sub-Saharan Africa threatens few if any American jobs while spurring industry in some of the poorest countries in the world. Yet a vital provision of the act is set to expire, and, for the moment, Congress appears more interested in political gamesmanship than in making a painless decision to help some of the world’s neediest people.”

Back in September, 150,000 ONE members sent letters to Congress to renew the “third country fabric provision” of AGOA. (See the text of the letter below.)

This provision is critical to the African apparel industry and a clear way to help promote trade in the world’s poorest countries. Although the provision doesn’t expire until September 2007, clothing manufacturers must place orders several months in advance. Soon they will begin to pull long-term orders, as some factories may not exist in a year.

As we tread into this new political climate in Washington, it’s vital that Congress work together to combat global poverty. Renewing the “third country fabric provision” should top the lists of both Democrats and Republicans.

Here is the text of the letter:

Dear Member of Congress,

In 2000, the creation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) created new trading relationships between the United States and African countries. As a result of AGOA, African businesses have grown and developed, particularly in the apparel sector, and new factories have sprung up in several African countries. But, one of the special rules for apparel that has created these opportunities and employment for thousands of Africans is about to expire. As your constituent and a member of the ONE Campaign, I ask that urgent action be taken to save these jobs in apparel factories created by AGOA which have helped so many impoverished families lift themselves out of poverty.

New clothing factories in Africa rely on a special apparel rule called the “third country fabric provision”. This rule allows for the use of fabric from anywhere in the world to produce apparel that can enter the U.S. market duty-free. The “third country fabric provision” has created tens of thousands of jobs in Africa, and enabled new factories to open up in communities where employment is scarce.

In 2004, Congress was once again serious about helping Africans help themselves by passing an extension of this essential provision. Unless Congress acts this year, apparel companies will stop placing orders in these factories, damaging one of the continent’s new industries and putting in jeopardy one of the most successful U.S. economic initiatives toward Africa. Employment in apparel factories provides a means for Africans to earn income, feed their families, pay for health care and school fees, and lift themselves and their families out of poverty. But if the special apparel provisions of AGOA are allowed to expire, these jobs and opportunities will be lost.

The ONE Campaign, a broad coalition of millions of Americans, is mobilizing to ask Congress to continue this AGOA success story. I strongly urge you to support this extension at the earliest opportunity and continue the AGOA third country fabric provision so that Africans can have the opportunity to earn steady incomes and break the vicious cycle of poverty.

Let’s not take away the opportunity that AGOA has created for Africans to earn a living, educate and feed their families and lead fuller, healthier lives.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 28th, 2006 at 10:30 am and is filed under The ONE Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.