Comment from Shints ETP Garment PLC

Subject: Shints ETP Comment Supporting Restoration of Ethiopia’s 2027 AGOA Eligibility Shints ETP Garment PLC respectfully urges the United States Government to restore Ethiopia’s eligibility under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for calendar year 2027. The company believes restoration would generate immediate employment, investment, trade, and supply-chain benefits for both Ethiopia and the United States. Shints ETP is a Korean-owned apparel manufacturer that began operating in Ethiopia in January 2014 with approximately 700 employees. Through continued investment and expansion, it now employs around 7,000 workers, approximately 85 percent of whom are women. The company has also invested substantially in employee welfare through dormitories, childcare facilities, education and training centers, sports facilities, workplace safety, and other support infrastructure. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply-chain disruptions, declining international sourcing, and Ethiopia’s suspension from AGOA, Shints maintained its long-term commitment to the country. Its existing facilities can support approximately 10,000 employees but currently operate at only about 65 percent capacity because reduced preferential access to the U.S. market has weakened export orders. Restoring AGOA eligibility could therefore enable Shints to utilize its installed capacity and create approximately 3,000 additional jobs relatively quickly. The company currently supplies U.S. customers and previously manufactured for several established American brands and importers. AGOA restoration would help rebuild these relationships, attract new orders, and give U.S. businesses access to a competitive, experienced, and compliant apparel manufacturing base. Shints has secured approximately 80,000 square meters of additional land and plans to expand employment first to 15,000 and ultimately to approximately 30,000 workers. Restoring Ethiopia’s eligibility would support these investments, strengthen women’s economic empowerment, revive apparel exports, encourage foreign investment, and promote social stability. It would also provide American companies with diversified, cost-competitive, and resilient sourcing options while reinforcing mutually beneficial economic relations between Ethiopia and the United States. Restoration would deliver measurable benefits to workers, families, and communities. We currently manufacture products for U.S. customers including: •Champro Sports; •Poly Concept; and •New Wave Group, including the Clique, Tenson, and Craft brands. Before the suspension of Ethiopia’s AGOA eligibility, our factory also produced apparel and related products for major U.S. companies and brands, including: •Aramark Group, particularly workwear and uniform products; •Nautica; •The Children’s Place •G-III Apparel Group •The Levy Group and •KIMHAIE