CARICOM urges United States to renew HOPE/Help Act programs for Haiti

Following the urgent appeal from the Organization of American States (OAS), it is now CARICOM's turn. In a statement published on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, the heads of government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) issued an urgent call for the renewal of the Hope/Help Act programs for Haiti.

This law provides for the exemption of customs duties in the United States for certain Haitian textile products and apparel. While emphasizing the importance of the trade framework for Haiti's economic and social development, CARICOM urges « the US administration and Congress to take urgent action to advance legislation and reinstate the HOPE/HELP programs. »

Meanwhile, the government is stepping up efforts to encourage the US Congress and the Trump administration to renew this law. In mid-July, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé met with Senator Raphael Warnock in Washington to advocate for the continuation of these trade preferences.

Various diplomatic efforts have been undertaken by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship, Victor Harvel Jean Baptiste, to support this matter.

The Minister of Commerce, James MONAZARD, announced this week that he is constantly in talks with several American congressmen, still on the same issue.

The Hope/Help Act, according to Haitian officials, is vital for the Haitian textile industry. If it expires on September 25, 2025, without renewal by the US Congress, thousands of jobs would be threatened with layoff. This sector, already reduced to 30,000 jobs, represents 90% of exports to the United States.

Gedeon Delva