Haiti must wait for US Congress’s trade decision

Port-au-Prince, Apr 30 (Prensa Latina) Haitians currently embroiled in an economic crisis must wait for the US Congress's decision to renew the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) and the Haitian Economic Lift Program (HELP).

April 30, 2025
11:08

Haiti’s Economy and Finance Minister Alfred Metellus announced that the administration of US President Donald Trump will not apply the 10 percent tariff on textile products exported duty-free from Haiti to the northern country under the HOPE/HELP program.

The Haiti Libre digital newspaper reported that the Trump administration supports the rule’s renewal, which expires in September 2025, and the Caribbean nation is already waiting for Congress’s decision before the summer recess.

Local media recall that the HOPE program was implemented in 2006 to reduce trade barriers between this nation and the United States.

Meanwhile, the HELP program was launched in 2010 and aims to promote sustainable economic growth through infrastructure reforms, foreign investment, and the private sector.

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