National Retailers Urge Support for Haitian and African Trade Bills

By [ Sung Chang ]
Washington, DC
12/10/2025

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) issued the following statement in response to the House Ways & Means Committee bills to reauthorize the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) and the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Acts.

“We applaud the House Ways & Means Committee for introducing these important bills to reauthorize AGOA and the Haiti HOPE/HELP Acts. These trade preference programs are essential platforms to diversify retail supply chains, support workers in the agricultural and apparel sectors, and deepen trade relations in a rapidly growing region,” said Sung Chang, RILA’s vice president for international trade.

“This provides an opportunity to devise strategic, practical paths forward to promote stability and long-term economic development. We urge committee members to support the AGOA Extension Act and the Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act and stand ready to work together."

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RILA is the US trade association for leading retailers. We convene decision-makers, advocate for the industry, and promote operational excellence and innovation. Our aim is to elevate a dynamic industry by transforming the environment in which retailers operate.

RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $2.7 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs, and hundreds of thousands of stores, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers domestically and abroad.