Industry Recognizes Progress With Enactment of AGOA and Haiti HOPE/HELP Programs

Industry welcomes this critical retroactive extension but calls on Congress to make progress on a long-term extension and ensure the program advances versus lapsing in December 2026.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) celebrates today's enactment of the Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act and the AGOA Extension Act. The vote provides for a retroactive extension of each program for 15 months, retroactively restoring critical trade preference programs that lapsed on September 30, 2025.

For 25 years, AGOA has provided eligible Sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access, strengthening American exports in textiles and agriculture and fostering a wide array of U.S.–Africa commercial partnerships. Likewise, for more than 15 years, the Haiti HOPE/HELP programs have supported both U.S. and Haitian textile industries by granting Haiti duty-free access for apparel and textile products, building strong business ties between the two neighboring nations.

"The industry welcomes this long-awaited renewal. While the retroactive nature of this passage supports the industry on time lost, proactive and long-term renewal is what is needed for predictability, investment, and economic viability to support the U.S. jobs anchored by these programs," said Beth Hughes, AAFA’s Vice President of Trade and Customs Policy. “We look forward to immediately working with Congress and the Administration on this approach to ensure these programs are timely renewed well before their expiration on December 31, 2026."

About the American Apparel & Footwear Association

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) is the national trade association representing apparel, footwear and other sewn products companies, and their suppliers, which compete in the global market. Representing more than 1,100 world famous name brands, AAFA is the trusted public policy and political voice of the apparel and footwear industry, its management and shareholders, its more than 3.6 million U.S. workers, and its contribution of more than $523 billion in annual U.S. retail sales. AAFA drives progress on three key priorities: Brand Protection; Supply Chain & Sourcing; and Trade, Logistics, & Manufacturing. AAFA approaches this work through the lens of purpose-driven leadership in a manner that supports each member’s ability to build and sustain inclusive and diverse cultures, meet and advance ESG goals, and draw upon the latest technology.