(NAFB.com) – The House of Representatives passed a three-year extension of preferential trade programs for sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti. The legislation, passed by a strong bipartisan vote, lowered trading barriers for emerging economies. Lawmakers voted 340-54 in favor of renewing the African Growth and Opportunity Act. They also passed the Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act 345-45. Both programs expired on September 30, 2025. The programs provide duty-free access to the U.S. market for a wide range of goods, including apparel, from Haiti and more than 30 African countries. Politico said Representative Jason Smith (R-MO) said the U.S. still needs a much-longer-term extension of AGOA, but the current reauthorization provides a much-needed level of stability and certainty in the near term, so that Congress can continue to work on future reforms and strengthen a number of U.S. priorities in the African continent.
