Congress extends Haiti's tariff-free apparel access through 2035
H.R. 1625 — Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act of 2025 · Filed by Gregory Murphy (R-NC) · 17 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 26, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill extends duty-free (tariff-free) trade benefits for apparel imports from Haiti through September 30, 2035, under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act. It raises the required domestic-content threshold from 50% to 60%, caps annual imports at 1.25% of total U.S. apparel imports, and restores eligibility for certain articles that lost preferential status due to tariff-schedule changes. The primary beneficiaries are Haitian apparel manufacturers and U.S. importers/retailers sourcing from Haiti.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is extending and modifying tariff-free treatment for Haitian apparel under an existing trade program. It is a straightforward trade-policy instrument, not a hidden rider or concealment mechanism.
What the text implies
- The 1.25% annual import cap may limit Haiti's ability to scale apparel production and export, potentially capping the economic-development benefit the bill intends to provide.
- Raising the domestic-content threshold from 50% to 60% increases production costs for Haitian manufacturers, potentially offsetting competitiveness gains from duty-free access.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Haitian apparel manufacturers; U.S. apparel importers and retailers; U.S. fashion and clothing brands sourcing from Haiti