Press Releases

For Immediate Release                             Contact: Tionee Scotland

September 1, 2026                                                    202-808-6129

PRESS RELEASE

CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT STATEMENT ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF TWO-YEAR EXTENSION OF HAITI HOPE/HELP AND AGOA TRADE PREFERENCE PROGRAMS

Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (D-VI) released the following statement on the passage of H.R. 6500, The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, with bipartisan support. This bill includes a two-year extension of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act (HOPE Act) and the Haiti Economic Lift Program Act (HELP Act), as well as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Both programs, which are set to expire at the end of 2026, would be extended through December 31, 2028. The legislation, which was passed by the U.S. Senate on August 8, 2026, now proceeds to the President's desk to be signed into law:

"This is the certainty that Haitian workers, families, and their partners in American industry have been waiting for. After these programs lapsed last fall and were restored for fifteen months, we have finally given them a runway. Today's vote gives Haiti's apparel sector and its American partners two more years of certainty to plan and invest.

"I am proud to have worked alongside my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee in the drafting of the reauthorization of HOPE/HELP, in particular Ranking Member Neal, Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Sanchez, and Dr. Murphy. This vital program sustains manufacturing jobs in Haiti and secures a reliable, nearby supply chain for American apparel companies.

“Haiti continues to face compounding humanitarian, political, and economic crises. The security emergency has displaced over 1.4 million Haitians and left half the country's population experiencing life-threatening hunger. The apparel sector remains the foundation of Haiti's economy and its most reliable source of formal employment, making uninterrupted duty-free access to the U.S. market essential to any path toward stability.

"Haiti is our strategic ally, and U.S. support for its apparel sector is mutually beneficial. Haitian apparel manufacturing utilizes U.S. cotton and plays an essential role in shifting supply chains out of China and into the Western Hemisphere.

"The same is true of AGOA. For twenty-six years, AGOA has been the foundation of America's economic partnership with sub-Saharan Africa, providing duty-free access to more than 1,800 products and building commercial relationships that support American exporters, American consumers, and our national security interests. Extending these programs before they lapsed protects existing trade relationships as well as the American and African businesses that depend on them.

"I will continue to emphasize the importance of U.S. trade engagement with both Haiti and our AGOA partners in sub-Saharan Africa. This extension gives American manufacturers and investors the predictability they need — certainty that these trade preferences will remain in place, supply chains will stay stable, and sourcing decisions can be made with confidence.”

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