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Ways and Means Trade Priorities Signed into Law to Counter China, Expand Market Access, and Strengthen Supply Chains

September 03, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) issued the following statement after President Donald J. Trump signed into law Chairman Smith’s African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Extension Act and Rep. Greg Murphy’s (NC-03) Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act, trade policies championed by Ways and Means members to strengthen supply chains, deepen America’s economic partnerships in Africa and the Western Hemisphere, and reduce dependence on Communist China:

“AGOA and HOPE/HELP are proven trade programs that protect America’s economic and national security interests. For over two decades, AGOA has anchored our trade relationship with sub-Saharan Africa, home to nearly a third of the world’s critical mineral resources. Extending it keeps America in the game and denies Communist China room to fill the void they’ve spent billions trying to create. HOPE/HELP does the same for Haiti, a nation less than 600 miles from Florida that needs the stability these programs provide – stability that strengthens the security of our nation as well. The Ways and Means Committee has led the way in prioritizing these trade programs, and we will continue fighting for a longer-term reauthorization with reforms to improve them even more in the years to come.”

Chairman Smith’s legislation was amended by the Senate to include appropriations legislation that keeps the government funded through December 11, 2026.

AGOA Extension Act (H.R. 6500)

  • The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is the cornerstone of economic relations between the U.S. and sub-Saharan African nations.
  • AGOA has the most stringent eligibility criteria of any trade preference program; countries must meet strict standards related to rule of law and political pluralism, anti-corruption, intellectual property rights, human rights, and market access. Further, the program ensures beneficiaries do not undermine U.S. national security or foreign policy interests.
  • An extended lapse in AGOA would create a void that malign actors like China and Russia will seek to fill.
  • Africa is home to approximately 30 percent of the world’s critical mineral resources, and China has invested $8 to $10 billion in Africa to try to monopolize these essential supply chains.

Read a fact sheet on the bill here.

Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act (H.R. 6504)

  • Haiti receives U.S. trade preferences for textile and apparel products through several trade programs, including the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act (HOPE) and Haiti Economic Lift Program Act (HELP).
  • An extended lapse in these programs could jeopardize Haiti’s apparel manufacturing industry, exacerbating the current political instability in the country and increasing security concerns in the U.S.
  • Renewal of these programs supports nearshoring and onshoring goals for American trade that will benefit American workers and businesses.

Read a fact sheet on the bill here.