[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1168 Engrossed in House (EH)]
<DOC>
H. Res. 1168
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
July 12, 2022.
Whereas Congress commits to strengthening economic ties and cooperation with the
Caribbean people to promote equitable economic growth and development
across the region;
Whereas the Caribbean region has a population of approximately 44,000,000
people, millions of people have emigrated between the Caribbean and the
United States, and approximately 13,000,000 people in the United States,
or 4 percent of the United States population, share Caribbean ancestry;
Whereas it is in the national interest of the United States to support the
economic development of sovereign Caribbean nations and territories;
Whereas greater opportunities for mutually beneficial trade and investments
promote economic growth, development, poverty reduction, democracy, the
rule of law, civil rights, and overall stability;
Whereas regional and global integration with our Caribbean neighbors should be
strengthened to create decent jobs, boost economic growth in the
Caribbean and the United States, and eliminate barriers to trade and
investment in the Caribbean;
Whereas it remains the goal of the United States to support diversification of
Caribbean exports to the United States;
Whereas, in 1983, Congress launched the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) through
the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) and expanded it in
2000 with the United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act
(CBTPA);
Whereas the United States shares a history of struggle with Caribbean neighbor
countries, including with our courageous sister nation of Haiti;
Whereas Haiti suffered destabilizing events in 2021, including severe
insecurity, a deadly earthquake, widespread democratic protests,
continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the assassination of
President Jovenel Moise, all of which have contributed to a governance
and humanitarian crisis that requires immediate further attention and
support from the United States and the global community;
Whereas specialized United States trade preferences with Haiti, including the
Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) and Hemispheric Opportunity through
Partnership Encouragement Act (HOPE II) programs, aid Haiti's growing
textile and apparel manufacturing industry and are a critical source of
steady jobs for many Haitian people to support their families;
Whereas trade preference programs for the Caribbean and Caribbean Community
(CARICOM) countries, such as the Generalized System of Preferences, CBI,
and CBTPA have provided important economic benefits for Caribbean Basin
country economies, including by facilitating niche production and more
diversified exports, while also benefitting United States businesses and
workers, including by helping to add value for customers and supporting
United States jobs;
Whereas Caribbean people and their island nation economies have led globally by
exploring innovative economic strategies to produce collective benefits
for their communities, such as through the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk
Insurance Facility, to reduce the economic impact of major disasters;
Whereas the United States seeks to prioritize and promote a worker-centered
trade agenda that facilitates trade and protects freedom of association,
fosters a sustainable environment and climate path, advances racial
equity and supports underserved communities, addresses unfair economic
trade practices, supports domestic producers, and promotes growth and
development around the world;
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the public health and
economies of the Caribbean and the United States, which has also
contributed to inequality within and between nations, and further
excluded vulnerable groups from the benefits of trade and economic
development;
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to strengthen supply
chain resilience and increase near-shoring in global trade;
Whereas the United States believes that free and fair trade practices, economic
growth, and stable domestic employment foster democratic principles of
good governance;
Whereas United States and Caribbean economic ties, including through Caribbean
services and manufacturing sectors, produce critical goods and services
for consumers and jobs for workers that strengthen their economies;
Whereas such economic ties serve strategic purposes by providing an alternative
to potentially predatory economic practices of other foreign
governments, including non-market economies, in the Caribbean that harm
national and regional interests in the Western Hemisphere;
Whereas climate change and natural disasters pose acute risks for Caribbean
people and island economies; and
Whereas the United States signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement in
2013 with CARICOM to drive strengthened trade and investment ties
between CARICOM and the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) urges the President to prioritize and implement trade programs
with the Caribbean region that promote sustainable and resilient
economic development;
(2) commits to engaging directly with diverse stakeholders from the
Caribbean, including CARICOM Trade Ministers, policymakers, as well as
labor, business, and civil society representatives, to dialogue and
develop a shared multilateral trade agenda;
(3) affirms trade and tariff preference programs that strengthen the
economic relationship between the Caribbean and the United States and
produce economic benefits for people of all racial, ethnic, gender,
ability, economic, linguistic, and religious backgrounds;
(4) encourages further enhancing trade programs between the
Caribbean and the United States; and
(5) supports critical trade policies and preference programs, such
as HELP and HOPE II, and further commits to strengthen those policies to
ensure they advance sustainable economic development, produce positive
economic benefits in Haiti, the Caribbean, and the United States, and
protect our most vulnerable communities.
Attest:
Clerk.