Technical assistance to increase and diversify exports from Haiti to the United States

Section 213A of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 2703a), as amended by this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following: (i) Technical assistance To increase and diversify exports from Haiti to the United States (1) In general The United States Trade Representative shall provide technical assistance to the agencies, entities, and individuals specified in clauses (i) through (v) of paragraph (2)(B), to increase and diversify exports from Haiti to the United States with the objectives of— (A) increasing and diversifying export-oriented value chains in Haiti through measures that enhance the competitiveness of firms in Haiti; (B) reinforcing the capacity of trade support institutions to enhance the business climate in Haiti; and (C) developing utilization strategies for Haiti to further explore export opportunities under United States trade preference programs. (2) Requirements The Trade Representative— (A) shall seek to coordinate with the International Trade Center to develop and provide technical assistance; (B) shall establish a participatory process to develop the technical assistance that includes— (i) appropriate agencies of the Government of Haiti; (ii) trade support institutions in Haiti; (iii) employers in Haiti; (iv) workers in Haiti; and (v) labor unions in Haiti; and (C) shall consult with the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate regarding the development and provision of technical assistance. (3) Priority Technical assistance provided pursuant to this subsection shall focus on— (A) developing agricultural processing exports to the United States; (B) improving competitiveness and labor compliance in the apparel sector; (C) improving key services that support the competitiveness of sectors with export potential to the United States; and (D) providing the institutional capacity for government, non-profit, and private sector bodies to increase and diversify exports to the United States. (4) Reports (A) In general The President shall include in each report required to be submitted to Congress under section 163(a) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2213(a)) the following: (i) A description of the actions taken to provide technical assistance during the preceding calendar year, including metrics related to the outcomes achieved through such assistance. (ii) A description of the actions taken regarding the participatory process under paragraph (3)(B) during the preceding calendar year, including an identification of the agencies, entities, and individuals specified in clauses (i) through (v) of paragraph (2)(B) that participated. (B) Coordination The President shall seek to coordinate with the International Trade Center in carrying out this paragraph. (5) Definitions In this subsection— (A) the term International Trade Center — (i) means the joint agency of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the World Trade Organization, originally established by the Contracting Parties of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade on March 19, 1964, and from January 1, 1968, operated jointly with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; and (ii) includes any subdivision, instrumentality, or designee thereof; and (B) the term trade support institutions means key actors that support the export-oriented business climate, such as— (i) the Haitian Ministry of Commerce and Industry; (ii) the Haitian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and (iii) trade promotion organizations..