TCF POST Report
The U.S. Senate has passed a two-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act, a move welcomed by the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) as an important step toward restoring stability to critical U.S. apparel and textile trade relationships.
Passed with bipartisan support as part of the Continuing Resolution, the legislation would extend both programs through December 31, 2028. The programs had expired on September 30, 2025, before being retroactively restored for only 15 months on February 3, 2026. The new extension therefore offers companies a substantially longer period of trade-policy certainty while Congress considers a longer-term framework.
“The industry welcomes the continued renewal of these critical trade preference programs before expiration. This two-year extension will help stabilize these partnerships, providing time to build toward a predictable, long-term continuation of these programs,” said Beth Hughes, AAFA’s Vice President of Trade and Customs Policy.
Hughes added that AAFA now encourages swift passage by the House and prompt presidential approval.
AAFA: Extension is a step toward long-term certainty
AAFA has consistently urged Congress and the Administration to renew both AGOA and Haiti HOPE/HELP, arguing that predictable trade preferences are important to U.S. companies as well as workers and manufacturers in beneficiary countries.
The association also provided testimony to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in July as part of the review of AGOA eligibility and renewal.
AAFA’s position reflects the apparel and footwear industry’s broader concern that uncertainty over tariff preferences can complicate sourcing decisions, supplier commitments and investment planning. A longer authorization period gives companies greater visibility when developing sourcing programs and negotiating production arrangements.
The association said both programs have enjoyed strong bipartisan support for decades and stressed that long-term renewal would provide much-needed certainty for U.S. companies while supporting workforce stability in sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti.
What the extension means for apparel and textile trade
AGOA has provided eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the U.S. market for qualifying products for 25 years. The program has helped build commercial relationships between U.S. companies and African producers, particularly in textiles and apparel, while also supporting exports in agriculture and other sectors.
For apparel brands, retailers and importers, continued preferential access can make eligible African sourcing programs more commercially viable. It can help companies maintain supplier relationships, evaluate new production opportunities and make longer-term sourcing decisions without the immediate risk of another expiration.
The Haiti HOPE/HELP programs have played a comparable role for Haiti for more than 15 years, providing duty-free access for qualifying apparel and textile products. Their continuation is particularly important for Haiti’s export-oriented garment industry and the U.S. companies that source from it.
A boost to sourcing diversification
The extension also has implications for the industry’s ongoing effort to diversify global supply chains.
Africa and Haiti represent alternative sourcing bases for U.S. apparel companies seeking to reduce excessive dependence on individual production markets. Greater certainty around preferential access can encourage buyers and manufacturers to maintain or expand relationships in these regions.
For suppliers, longer visibility can support investments in factory capacity, machinery, workforce training, compliance and productivity. For U.S. buyers, it can improve confidence in future landed costs and make longer-term sourcing commitments easier to assess.
The Haiti program also has a geographic advantage for U.S. apparel sourcing, offering companies a Western Hemisphere production option that can complement Asian supply chains and potentially support shorter lead times for certain programs.
From temporary relief to a longer-term solution
The Senate action is therefore significant on two levels. For AAFA and the wider apparel industry, it represents progress toward restoring predictable trade preferences. For manufacturers and sourcing companies, it provides additional time and confidence to plan production, investment and supplier relationships.
However, the two-year extension is not the industry’s final objective. AAFA is calling for a predictable, long-term continuation of both programs rather than repeated short-term renewals.
If enacted into law, the extension through the end of 2028 would give U.S. apparel and footwear companies, African suppliers and Haitian manufacturers a more stable trade environment while policymakers work toward a longer-term solution.
For an industry heavily dependent on predictable sourcing economics, the central benefit is clear: more certainty for buyers, greater stability for suppliers and additional scope for the U.S. apparel and footwear sector to diversify its international supply chains.