A group of US Representatives (Greg Murphy, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Maria Salazar, and Frederica Wilson) and Senators Bill Cassidy and Raphael Warnock have introduced bipartisan legislation to renew the HOPE/HELP trade programmes with Haiti and bolster the US’s nearshore supply chains.
The HELP Extension Act also aims to improve stability in the Caribbean as it would provide a significant 10-year extension to the trade programme, which is due to expire in September 2025.
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AAFA president and CEO Steve Lamar is urging Congress to pass the measure “immediately” and for Trump to quickly sign it into law, to provide predictability for US brands and retailers still trying to do business in Haiti amid ongoing uncertainty.
AAFA’s vice president of trade and customs policy Beth Hughes added: “This renewal is urgently needed to help combat the crisis that continues to unfold in Haiti.
“Delays in renewing the programme, coupled with acute security concerns, have already contributed to the loss of nearly 2/3 of the 60,000 Haitian textile and apparel jobs that existed just two years ago. More of those jobs will be lost in the coming months if Congress fails to act soon.”
Lamar pointed out that Congress has spent 25 years consistently encouraging the fashion industry to “remain invested in Haiti to economically stabilise our island neighbour and limit illegal migratory pressures by providing good, well-paying jobs in the country”.
He explained the need for this continued Congressional commitment and partnership remains as important as ever.
The Association des Industries d’Haïti (ADIH) strongly supports HOPE/HELP reauthorisation as a lifeline for thousands of Haitian workers and their families.
The organisation’s president Maulik Radia said: “Without the immediate reauthorisation of this programme, Haiti will experience further job losses in the apparel sector.
“The apparel industry is the backbone of Haiti’s formal economy and with the looming expiration of the HOPE/HELP legislation these critically needed jobs have shrunk from a peak of 60,000 to just over 20,000.
“Most of these jobs are in the north and east of Haiti where security is not the issue, but the looming expiration of HOPE/HELP is causing buyers to shift orders away from Haiti.”
Radia explained that HOPE/HELP is not an aid programme or one-way trade benefit: “It helps maintain apparel jobs in the Hemisphere and Haiti; and for every dollar Haiti can export to the United States Haiti spends a dollar on US imports. This is reciprocal trade – indeed Haiti runs a trade deficit with the United States. HOPE/HELP is the one economic tool that can quickly provide jobs for Haiti and move the country forward, and timely action is critical.”
Canadian clothing manufacturer Gildan agreed with the company’s Vice President Commodities, Marc Doyon noting HOPE/HELP renewal legislation also plays a vital role in supporting US textile jobs and strengthening regional supply chains.
He explained: “By driving demand for American-grown cotton and yarns within Gildan’s vertically integrated supply chain, the bill bolsters US manufacturing while also promoting nearshoring and maintaining jobs in Haiti. Renewing HOPE/HELP is essential to continuing this mutually beneficial relationship.”
