The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) is expressing its deep disappointment that the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act, and the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Act (Haiti HOPE/HELP) trade preference programs were allowed to expire yesterday.
With the programs now lapsed and Congress facing a government shutdown, renewal will face unnecessary delays. AAFA is calling on Congress and the Administration to take steps to extend these programs, retroactively, immediately.
For more than 23 years, AGOA has provided eligible Sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access, strengthening American exports in textiles and agriculture and fostering diverse U.S.–Africa commercial partnerships. Similarly, for over 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.
These programs enjoy strong bipartisan backing, support American cotton and textile exports, and provide American businesses with smart, practical strategies to diversify sourcing outside of China.
“We are frustrated by the failure to act on these long-standing, bipartisan trade preference programs that clearly benefit local garment industries abroad as well as Made-in-America cotton and textile exporters, American brands, and the 3.6 million American workers directly supported by the fashion industry,” said AAFA’s Vice President of Trade and Customs, Beth Hughes. “Despite persistent and constructive engagement from a wide range of stakeholders, Congress has fallen short in renewing these mutually beneficial programs, ultimately surrendering further strength to China’s manufacturing influence by placing unnecessary obstacles in the way of viable sourcing alternatives.”
AAFA has long urged Congress to renew, and the Administration to support, the renewal of both the AGOA and Haiti HOPE/HELP trade preference programs, with testimony before the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on AGOA’s renewal in July and testimony on Haiti HOPE/HELP before the International Trade Commission in February. For regular updates about key trade and customs dates and deadlines, visit AAFA’s Fashion Tariffs 101 page.
 is expressing its deep disappointment that the African Growth and Opportunity){kind=link}