United States

The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) says that it will urge U.S. President Barack Obama to reinstate trade preference benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program for Bangladesh because the country is an important sourcing destination for U.S. companies. In an interview with The Daily Star, Nate Herman, Vice-President of International Trade for the AAFA, said that if GSP benefits are indeed reinstated, the AAFA would work to grow the list of included items to include items like leather goods, backpacks, and luggage. U.S. officials suspended GSP benefits for Bangladesh in the wake of last year’s Rana Plaza disaster. (The Daily Star)