On September 1, 2026, the United States House of Representatives approved legislation to extend the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership for Encouragement Act and the Haiti Economic Lift Program, widely known as HOPE/HELP. The vote came roughly one month after the U.S. Senate passed the same extension bill in August 2026, clearing the way for the measure to move to the presidential desk for final approval.
The extended trade framework will remain in effect for two years, expiring on December 31, 2028. Under standard U.S. legislative protocol, the bill will formally enter into force only after receiving signature from sitting President Donald J. Trump.
Haitian government leaders have broadly celebrated the House’s vote, framing the renewal of HOPE/HELP as an indispensable pillar for the Caribbean nation’s struggling economy. The trade preferences at the core of the program are designed to cut tariffs on Haitian exports to the U.S. market, creating competitive advantages that support job retention, drive foreign investment, and strengthen Haiti’s core industrial sectors—most notably its large textile and apparel manufacturing industry.
Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé led extensive diplomatic outreach through the country’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) in the months leading up to the vote, holding continuous dialogue with U.S. policymakers and international stakeholders to underscore how critical the program is to Haiti’s economy, employment levels, and overall social stability.
Haiti’s Minister of Industry and Commerce James Monazard issued a statement welcoming the bipartisan approval of the extension by both chambers of the U.S. Congress, calling the outcome a transformative milestone for Haiti’s textile industry, its export sector, and the entire domestic supply chain that relies on preferential trade access.
The MCI noted that the approval comes as a particularly important win for Haiti, which has faced severe ongoing economic constraints and months of market uncertainty over whether the long-standing trade preferences would be renewed. Once signed by President Trump, the extended provisions will go into effect immediately.