Products from Cote d'Ivoire Qualify for AGOA Textile, Apparel Benefits

Imports of eligible products from Cote d’Ivoire now qualify for textile and apparel benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), according to the U.S. Trade Representative. The announcement, which makes changes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to accommodate Cote d'Ivoire's inclusion in the list of AGOA countries, is effective March 19. The country has adopted an effective visa system and related procedures to prevent unlawful transshipment of textile and apparel articles and the use of counterfeit documents connected to shipping such articles, USTR said. The West African country is also making substantial progress toward implementing and following the customs procedures required by AGOA. Those procedures assist customs in verifying product origin. Importers claiming preferential tariff treatment under AGOA for entries of textile and apparel articles should ensure they meet applicable visa requirements., USTR said.