On November 19, Congress cleared the AAFA-supported Miscellaneous Trade Bill (H.R. 1047). The bill passed the US House of Representatives in October right before Congress adjourned for the elections. President Bush will sign the legislation into law in the next few weeks. Thanks in part to the efforts of AAFA and many of its members, 70 Senators had signed onto a November 12 letter urging Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) to move the bill to a vote during last week's lame-duck session of Congress. The bill's over 350 mostly non-controversial provisions include a provision to eliminate duties on virtually all U.S. imports of footwear (except 17 specific rubber/fabric and plastic/protective footwear items) under the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA). The footwear would be able to enter the United States duty-free even if made with imported uppers. The bill also contains some important technical fixes to the apparel provisions in CBTPA and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The legislation does contain a controversial sock labeling provision. AAFA would like to thank its members for their critical support of this important measure.
