Senator Reverend Warnock led his colleagues in reintroducing the bipartisan Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act

The bill reauthorizes the Haitian Hemisphere Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act and the Haitian Economic Lift Program (HELP) Act until 2035

Legislation will support Haiti’s economic growth and boost the country’s long-term stability

Senator Reverend Warnock: “America is safer and better off when our neighbors are thriving”

ICYMI from the Gwinnett Daily Post: “Sens. Raphael Warnock and Marco Rubio are co-sponsoring legislation to continue making it easier to export Haitian-produced clothing to the U.S. for an additional decade.”

Washington D.C. — Yesterday, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), joined by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), led a bipartisan group of senators in reintroducing the Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act—legislation which reauthorizes the Haitian Hemisphere Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act and the Haitian Economic Lift Program (HELP) Act until 2035. These two bills remove duties from Haitian apparel exports to the United States and together apply to roughly 93% of Haitian exports to the United States. These trade benefits provide stable and safe jobs in Haiti, as well as ensure that there is a source of apparel goods for the United States not tainted with state-sponsored forced labor. 

Both HOPE and HELP only extended these trade benefits to 2025. Due to the length of time it takes to formalize trade negotiations with Haiti, Congress needs to pass an extension to ensure there is no gap in duty-free status for these goods and that investors know that the conditions will remain past 2025.

“America is safer and better off when our neighbors are thriving,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “That’s why I was proud to lead this bipartisan effort to strengthen Haiti’s economic future and stability. This bill is a win-win for Georgians and the people of Haiti. It will promote a better future for us all and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this over the finish line.”

In response to an economic downturn in Haiti in 2005, Congress amended the 1984 Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) with the Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership and Encouragement (HOPE) Act to remove duties from Haitian apparel exports to the United States. Congress followed up in 2010 with the passage of the Haitian Economic Lift Program (HELP) Act in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

In October 2021, Senator Warnock expressed disappointment to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the United States’ inhumane treatment of Haitian migrants at the southern border. In May 2021, Senator Warnock applauded Secretary Mayorkas’ decisions to redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.

The full text of the bill can be found here. 

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