Duty-free access to the United States remains one of the foundations of Haiti’s industrial economy, and it now holds through 2028.
H.R. 6500, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, passed both chambers with bipartisan support and was signed into law on September 2. It extends the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act and the Haiti Economic Lift Program through December 31, 2028, as well as the African Growth and Opportunity Act. HOPE and HELP were set to expire at the end of this year.
The trade preferences give eligible apparel assembled in Haiti duty-free access to the United States. The sector remains one of the country’s most reliable sources of formal employment and one of the few able to absorb labor at scale.
The extension follows months of sustained work by Haiti’s public institutions, private sector and labor unions, alongside U.S. industry associations and members of Congress from both parties who kept the legislation on the agenda and helped make its passage possible.
B|G|O operates within that framework. Lafito Industrial Free Zone provides manufacturers with a compliance-ready base from which to benefit from HOPE and HELP, alongside Port Lafito, the country’s only Panamax-capable deep-water gateway, and the power, warehousing, and inland logistics that manufacturing at scale requires.
Reuven Bigio, Chairman of B|G|O, stated:
“HOPE/HELP gives manufacturers an important reason to look at Haiti and an opportunity to benefit from duty-free access to the U.S. market. At Lafito, our job is to provide the infrastructure, power, logistics and security they need to make that investment work. Every company that establishes operations here has the potential to create jobs, generate new activity and strengthen the productive economy.”
For B|G|O, the extension strengthens the case for manufacturing and business development in Haiti while reinforcing investments the company has made over decades in the country’s productive capacity. With HOPE/HELP secured through 2028, B|G|O provides the platform, infrastructure, logistics, and wherewithal to turn that incentive into lasting growth.