ETHIOPIA, SWAZILAND GET U.S. APPROVAL TO RECEIVE AGOA BENEFITS

ETHIOPIA, SWAZILAND GET U.S. APPROVAL TO RECEIVE AGOA BENEFITS    The U.S. Trade Representative has determined that Ethiopia and Swaziland have met the requirements to receive the import benefits of the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
   The law, enacted last year, applies special tariff treatment to imports of certain textile and apparel products from approved sub-Saharan African countries.
   To receive AGOA benefits, these countries must adopt visa systems and related procedures to prevent illegal transshipments and use of counterfeit documents for textile and apparel shipments. They must also make “substantial progress” to implement customs procedures that help the U.S. Customs Service to verify the origin of the products.