Delay of the HOPE/HELP Program: A Shock for Haitian Industry

Port-au-Prince, October 20, 2025 — The expiration of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership for Encouragement (HOPE) program and the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Act, which lapsed at the end of September 2025 without renewal by the US Congress, threatens a key sector of the Haitian economy. These laws, passed in 2005 and 2010, allowed Haiti to export duty-free clothing to the United States. They represent nearly 90% of national exports. In 2018, the Haitian textile manufacturing industry employed approximately 62,000 people. Today, this figure has fallen to 26,000 due to deteriorating security and the closure of at least fifteen factories. Without the renewal of the HOPE/HELP Act, more than 20,000 additional jobs could disappear, worsening the country's economic situation. Consequences, not only for the Haitian economy The benefits of these laws also extended to the Dominican Republic, where factories in Barahona, Bonao, Guerra, and Santiago produce fabrics and yarns sent to Haiti for the manufacture of clothing intended for export. Fernando Capellán's Cautious Optimism Dominican businessman Fernando Capellán, president of the Industrial Development Company (CODEVI), confirmed the expiration of the HOPE/HELP program. Heading a mixed free zone located between Ouanaminthe and Dajabón, where nearly 18,000 Haitians work, Capellán expressed optimism for a renewal of the legislation within the next 90 days. “I am always optimistic, sometimes cautiously optimistic, but I am convinced that Haiti's friends in Congress and within the Trump administration will work tirelessly to extend the legislation for 10 years,” he stated. He added that the White House supports the renewal of the law, as this program “impacts not only the United States, but also its supply chain.” The Haitian Government Sounds the Alarm Haitian Minister of Commerce and Industry, James Monazard, stated that “the situation in this sector remains alarming.” According to him, textile business leaders are awaiting a signal from the US Congress regarding the program's renewal. “If this law is not renewed, this situation could lead to the closure of many companies in the subcontracting sector, one of the pillars of the Haitian economy,” he warned. The minister recalled that disagreements between Republicans and Democrats in the US Congress have delayed the approval of the federal budget, blocking any decision regarding the HOPE/HELP Act. The Trump administration is expected to rule on this renewal before December 19, 2025. “The future of the outsourcing sector in Haiti largely depends on this renewal. We are optimistic, but time is running out,” he concluded. Between Uncertainty and Hope Economist Pierre-Marie Boisson believes that the end of the HOPE/HELP Act “is not the end,” but a period of uncertainty for the textile industry. He emphasizes that the issue is not limited to a simple renewal of the law but requires a more comprehensive approach. “The first part of this approach is to convince US authorities that if they agree to extend this law, there will be a resurgence in the textile industry,” he stated. An Economy Under Pressure The non-renewal of the HOPE/HELP program risks further weakening an economy already in crisis. The textile sector, the main provider of formal jobs and foreign currency, awaits a decision from the US Congress. Between caution and hope, Haitian economic actors fear a collapse of the country's last industrial pillar if the law is not renewed within the announced deadlines.