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6h ago

U.S. Restores AGOA and Haiti Trade Preferences With Retroactive One-Year Extension

The one-year timeline positions USTR to pursue a rewrite aligned with the administration’s America First trade agenda.

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FILE - Workers load a truck with the last boxes filled with clothes from the empty Tzicc clothing factory following the threat of U.S.-imposed tariffs in Maseru, Lesotho, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Bram Janssen, File)
FILE - A factory worker arrange garments at United Aryan EPZ Limited in Ruaraka on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya Friday, March. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku, file)
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Overview

  • President Donald Trump signed a law reinstating AGOA and Haiti HOPE/HELP retroactively from Sept. 30, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2026, directing refunds of duties paid during the lapse.
  • The final measure reflects a compromise that reduced a House-backed three-year renewal to one year within the appropriations package that ended the partial shutdown.
  • USTR Jamieson Greer said the administration will seek to modernize the program to demand greater market access for U.S. businesses, with tariff schedule updates now required for implementation.
  • South Africa remains eligible for now but faces uncertainty given strained relations and overlapping U.S. reciprocal tariffs of about 30% that risk eroding benefits as court challenges continue.
  • AGOA supported $8.23 billion in exports in 2024 and Haiti’s preferences underpin key apparel jobs, yet manufacturers and retailers warn the short extension undermines investment and sourcing decisions.