WASHINGTON, DC - Joshua Walker, Chief International Affairs Officer at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, today applauded passage of a two-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HOPE/HELP) as part of the Continuing Resolution to fund the government.
“This two-year extension is a critical first step towards providing the long-term certainty that American businesses operating in sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti need to make meaningful investment decisions. We urge Congress to use this window to modernize both programs and advance their long-term reauthorization. Durable renewal is crucial to incentivize greater cross-border investment and ensure the U.S. remains the partner of choice in these dynamic regions.
“These programs also function as essential tools of American strategic competition. As state-directed, non-market actors seek to expand their commercial and diplomatic footprint across Africa and the Western Hemisphere, AGOA and HOPE/HELP are key to diversifying critical supply chains away from non-democratic actors and supporting constructive U.S. engagement in regions of growing geopolitical importance.”
For 25 years, AGOA has been the cornerstone of U.S.-Africa commercial engagement, providing duty-free U.S. market access for eligible sub-Saharan African nations while supporting U.S. jobs, lowering costs for consumers, boosting U.S. exports, and advancing our diplomatic ties across Africa. The Haiti HOPE/HELP programs have similarly fostered a robust trade relationship rooted in U.S. supply chains, and advanced nearshoring goals benefitting American workers.
