Tariff concession on footwear extended to Dominican Republic & EI 
Salvador by US Authorities

January 7, 2005

To

All Leather Footwear Exporters

Dear Members,

Sub: Tariff concession on footwear extended to Dominican Republic & EI Salvador by US Authorities

We have received a communication from Dr.V.S.Seshadri, Minister (Commerce), Embassy of India, Washington regarding the tariff concession that has been extended by the US Authorities for certain footwear items under the Caribbean Basic Economic Recovery Act, in the month of Dec. 2004.

The beneficiary countries are Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, EI Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, St. Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago. The various types of footwear (both leather and non-leather), which are covered under the said Act for duty concession/duty free treatment, are given in Annexure. 

In this connection the Indian Embassy informed that based on the past trade figures in the leather footwear categories, the countries like Dominican Republic and EI Salvador, which have some footwear making capability among the beneficiary countries could benefit significantly by such tariff concessions. These countries have strengths in the area similar to Indian footwear industry particularly in respect of items falling under four digit HS Code 6403 (leather footwear), more so in the following footwear categories. 

Member-exporters may kindly take note of the above as leather footwear exported from Dominican Republic and El Salvador would have better market access in the USA in view of the tariff concessions extended under the Caribbean Basic Economic Recovery Act.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

K. ABDUL SATTAR KHAN
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR