Speakers:
- Tarek Kabil – Egyptian Ministry of Trade & Industry
- Ashraf Rabiey – QIZ Minister of Egypt
- Gabi Bar – QIZ Minister of Israel
- Mark D’Sa – Special Project Director for Haiti
- Moderator: Gail Strickler – former Assistant US Trade Representative for Textiles
Discussion questions:
- What are the financial incentives for US brands and retailers to source apparel in preference program countries? Why do U.S. apparel imports from members of AGOA, QIZs and HELP overall remain at a fairly low level despite the trade preference programs? How to improve the situation?
- Overall, why or why not should the US keep the trade preference programs or any critical reforms are needed?
- Any other interesting points you learned from the video or questions you may have?
FASH455 Global Apparel & Textile Trade and Sourcing 
the same question for you: only 0.8% of US apparel imports in 2016 came under the QIZs. (http://otexa.trade.gov/fta/catv1.htm) why do you think the number is so low? or why didn’t US brands and retailers didn’t use the program more often?
How about AGOA and Haiti/HELP programs? Also, isn’t US can also import apparel duty-free from free trade agreement partners, such as NAFTA and CAFTA-DR? Why they have to use QIZs?
That’s correct, but trade agreements also “allow duty-free and reduced duty treatment from numerous developing countries.” say NAFTA allows exports from Mexico (a developing country) to enter the US markets duty-free. Anything else? What do FTAs and trade preference programs differ from each other?
there are 14 free trade agreements enacted in the United States. Other than NAFTA, we have US-Chile FTA, US-Peru FTA, US-South Korea FTA… they also “work with more than just the U.S., Canada and Mexico to diversify trade, expanding trade, working on economic growth within countries”… check the video again or the reading packet