Retailers Applaud House Passage of Trade Bills

By [ Sung Chang ]
Washington, DC
01/12/2026

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) issued the following statement in response following House passage of 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.

“Retailers applaud the House for reauthorizing AGOA and the Haiti HOPE/HELP Acts. These trade preference programs are critical tools to allow retailers to diversify their supply chains, support workers in the agricultural and apparel sectors, and deepen trade relations in important parts of the world,” said Sung Chang, RILA’s vice president for international trade.

“We urge the Senate to now take up these critical bipartisan legislations and stand ready to work together."

Retailers joined with a coalition of organizations representing big and small businesses urging the House to pass the legislation.

In a joint letter, the organizations explained that the two bills provide “much-needed certainty for U.S. companies and stability for workforces in sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti.”

“AGOA and Haiti HOPE/HELP enjoy strong bipartisan backing, support American cotton and textile exports, provide U.S. businesses with smart, practical strategies to diversify sourcing outside of China, and directly support 3.6 million American workers,” the letter argued.

The letter was signed by the following groups: American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA), National Retail Federation (NRF), Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), and U.S. Fashion Industry Association (USFIA).

Read the full letter here.

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Media Contact: press@rila.org

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.