Comment from Jay Jay Textiles PLC

Dear Sir/Madam, On behalf of Jay Jay Textiles PLC and our extensive workforce in Ethiopia, I am writing to formally submit our corporate position for the 26th Annual African Growth and Opportunity Act Eligibility Review for the 2027 calendar year. Established in Ethiopia in 2014, Jay Jay Textiles PLC is a proud member of the 50-year-old Jay Jay Group, which operates premier apparel manufacturing facilities across India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia. Operating from our large manufacturing facilities within Addis Ababa’s Bole Lemi Special Economic Zone, we specialize in the high-volume manufacture and export of infant and baby wear clothing tailored specifically for the United States market. Our operations represent one of the most critical anchors of apparel employment and industrial export capacity in Ethiopia. Historically accounting for nearly 25% of the total garment exports from the country, our facilities maintain a deep-rooted commercial partnership with leading US brands, including Gerber Childrenswear, Garan, Carters, and The Children’s Place. Today, our manufacturing operation has expanded to employ more than 11,500 workers, where over 90% of our workforce are women, many of whom have transitioned from far-off rural villages into formal, skilled industrial livelihoods. As a fully private-sector-led entity, our company operates strictly on a market-driven model independent of state control. Our commercial pricing, sourcing, and capital allocations are dictated entirely by global market dynamics and contract manufacturing integration within our international group network. Our multi-million-dollar capital investments in advanced textile machinery and facility infrastructure demonstrate a firm, long-term commercial commitment to industrial efficiency and global value chain integration in East Africa. Furthermore, we maintain uncompromising operational standards regarding internationally recognized worker rights. Our factories strictly adhere to a zero-tolerance policy for child labor, forced labor, and workplace discrimination. We operate in rigorous compliance with the primary legal framework governing domestic employment ensuring fair wages, regulated working hours, and safe occupational health and safety (OHS) environments. Our internal governance and compliance policies are continuously validated through independent third-party compliance audits, consistently holding premier international certifications such as WRAP, ISO9001, OEKOTEX etc. The duty-free access provided by AGOA remains the structural cornerstone of price competitiveness for African-manufactured apparel entering the United States. While the period of suspension has created severe financial strain and forced neighboring operators to close and leave the country, Jay Jay Textiles has deliberately chosen to maintain its presence in Ethiopia. We have absorbed significant logistical and tariff burdens to shield our workforce from immediate displacement, remaining resilient in the earnest expectation of a timely AGOA reinstatement. The primary casualty of a prolonged AGOA suspension is the vulnerable demographic the act was designed to uplift. Our current workforce consists of more than 11,500 employees, over 90% of whom are women originating from far-off rural villages. For these individuals, this employment represents their first formal income, financial independence, and a vital escape from systemic poverty. Our business serves as a massive engine for skills transfer, technical training, and structured upward mobility, fostering inclusive growth that directly impacts tens of thousands of dependents within local communities. Jay Jay Textiles PLC strongly recommends that the USTR reinstate Ethiopia’s eligibility for duty-free trade benefits under AGOA for the 2027 calendar year. Reinstatement is the single most effective mechanism to secure the livelihoods of these 11,500+ industrial workers and to preserve a highly compliant, ethical manufacturing ecosystem that serves American consumers. Restoring these trade benefits aligns perfectly with AGOA's statutory goal of using trade to reduce poverty, promote robust labor standards, and deepen economic partnerships between the United States and Sub-Saharan Africa. If AGOA eligibility is restored, our company is fully prepared to accelerate our forward-looking commitments. We will rapidly expand our production volumes and exports to the United States market, secure our current employment positions while creating thousands of additional job opportunities for young women, and inject further foreign direct investment to expand our facility infrastructure and diversify our apparel product lines. We urge the administration to honor the structural reforms underway, protect these vital jobs before irreversible market exit occurs, and grant the reinstatement of Ethiopia's AGOA privileges. Sincerely, K.P.Raju Chief Executive Officer (Jay Jay Textiles PLC)