Trump signs bill extending Haiti’s HOPE/HELP trade programs through 2028

President Donald Trump has signed into law a bill extending two key trade preference programs for Haiti’s apparel industry through the end of 2028, giving the sector two more years of duty-free access to the U.S. market.

The legislation renews the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act (HOPE) and the Haiti Economic Lift Program Act (HELP), which had been set to expire at the end of this year.

In a communiqué released Sept. 3, the Haitian government welcomed the signing, calling it “an excellent development for the Haitian economy,” particularly for the textile sector and the thousands of workers and families who depend on it. The statement expressed gratitude to Trump and to U.S. and Haitian officials who worked on the extension, and said the government would continue working with its partners to maximize the opportunities the programs offer.

HOPE was first enacted in 2006 and HELP in 2010, together forming the backbone of Haiti’s export-driven garment industry, which remains one of the country’s largest sources of formal jobs even as gang violence and political instability have battered other sectors of the economy.