Speaking at the US House of Representatives Sub-committee on the Western Hemisphere hearing on energy yesterday, Wednesday 23 July 2014, former Dominican ambassador in Washington Flavio Dario Espinal called for attention from the US Congress to the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) under discussion in the US Congress. He made the point that the TPP contains certain rules that will undermine recent gains in the apparel industry not only in the DR but also in some Central American countries. “The TPP will allow Vietnam to import yarns and fabric from, say, China, which will reduce its production costs enormously, which, in turn, will give Vietnam an unfair competitive edge against the Dominican Republic and some Central American countries in the US market,” said Espinal.
http://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA07/20140723/102535/HHRG-113-FA07-Wstate-EspinalF-20140723.pdf