In July 2026, a high-level cross-sector Haitian delegation has traveled to Washington D.C. to launch an extensive diplomatic campaign aimed at securing the extension of two landmark U.S. trade laws that underpin Haiti’s most vital economic sector.
The delegation, assembled to advocate for the renewal of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership for Encouragement (HOPE) and Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) laws, brings together representatives from Haiti’s government, central bank, and leading industry groups. It includes Commerce and Industry Minister James Monazard, Yves Pierre of the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH), Georges Sassine from the Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH), and Virgilio Mota, representing both Group M and the CODEVI industrial free zone.
Over the course of the diplomatic mission, the Haitian team has scheduled a full slate of meetings with a broad range of key U.S. stakeholders, spanning Congress, the State Department, industry bodies, and the White House’s National Security Council. Meetings have already been held with Haitian Ambassador to the U.S. Lionel Delatour, senior staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Viviana Bovo—Senior Advisor in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, leadership from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), and the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), as well as legislative directors and senior aides from multiple congressional offices, including that of House Speaker Mike Johnson, and senior leadership of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.
First enacted in 2006 and later expanded by the HELP legislation, the HOPE/HELP framework stands as the cornerstone of trade cooperation between Port-au-Prince and Washington. The core provision of the laws grants duty-free access to the U.S. market for Haitian-manufactured textiles and apparel, the country’s largest export sector. Beyond trade preferences, the regime has also catalyzed foreign direct investment, supported the expansion of Haiti’s domestic industrial base, and sustained hundreds of thousands of livelihoods across the country.
For Haitian Commerce Minister James Monazard, the renewal of the trade laws is not merely a policy adjustment—it is a strategic priority for Haiti’s entire national economy. “Extending these programs will allow us to protect tens of thousands of existing jobs, boost the global competitiveness of our domestic producers, draw new international investment, and solidify Haiti’s role in regional textile and apparel supply chains,” Monazard emphasized during the mission.
The current diplomatic push underscores the Haitian government’s unwavering commitment to advancing the country’s core economic interests. Through sustained, constructive engagement with U.S. policymakers and industry partners, the delegation is working to lock in the renewal of a trade regime that has long served as a central engine of growth, job creation, and long-term sustainable development for Haiti, a nation grappling with persistent economic and security challenges.